


Yes, Life Had Been Good

by MsTwoBits



Category: Glee
Genre: Angst, Bottom Blaine, Bottom Kurt, Description of Injuries, Gay Sex, M/M, bashing, minor description of attack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-02
Updated: 2015-05-02
Packaged: 2018-02-23 20:46:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 29
Words: 128,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2555078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsTwoBits/pseuds/MsTwoBits
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kurt and Blaine had a nasty breakup seven years ago. When Burt finds himself needing Blaine of all people, Kurt and Blaine find themselves thrust back into each other's lives. What happens when they confront their past? And what will happen in their future?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My first attempt at writing fanfic. This work is mostly complete. My plan is to post a chapter once a week. I don't have an exact set schedule right now...possibly Sunday afternoons.
> 
> Mistakes are my own. Enjoy!

Kurt was sitting behind his desk, rubbing his tired eyes with the heels of his hands. It had been a long day and while he felt like he had accomplished much, he knew there was still a lot of work ahead of him. Of course he loved his job and the direction his future was heading. He had been working for Rosaline Spencer, one of the top fashion houses in NYC for the past three years after graduating from the New York Academy of Fashion at the top of his class. He had been working hours upon hours just trying to get his work recognized and it seemed like the time had finally arrived. After being given the golden opportunity of working with Rosaline Spencer's top designer, he was finally getting the chance to build his portfolio up and at the end of this season Kurt would get the chance to present it to Ms. Rosaline Spencer herself. If she liked what she saw, he could get his very own line! Three years after graduation and Kurt Hummel could have his very own fashion line. He knew first hand that not all dreams come true but if this one did, he might consider all of the sacrifices worth it.

"Kurt!" Rachel practically yelled into his phone. "When are you leaving your office? I thought we were meeting for dinner."

"I'm sorry Rachel. I lost track of the time. Ten more minutes and I'm on my way." Kurt promised.

Ah Rachel. Kurt really did love her and he was eternally grateful that they had managed to maintain their friendship through all of the drama since they left McKinley High and Lima behind eight years ago. While disappointed Kurt did not get into NYADA like Rachel did, it really did turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Rachel struggled at first, being faced with thousands of other Rachel Berrys out there. She was now starring in an off Broadway play and even though she was disappointed that it was not technically Broadway, she was the star of the show and she has gotten rave reviews. She knew it was only a matter of time before she was starring on Broadway for real.

Rachel and Finn had broken up after a year of trying to do the long distance relationship thing. It was for the best. Finn was helping out Kurt's dad at the tire shop back home. New York wasn't really the place for Finn. He is more of a small town guy. Rachel was now dating a wonderful guy, Marc, and they had been together for two years. Kurt was glad to no longer be in the middle of his best friend and step brother.

Kurt on the other hand was newly single. All of this work he was putting into his maybe-fashion line finally took its toll on his last relationship. He understood why Caleb felt like he had to move on. They had been together for less than a year and honestly, Kurt wasn't too upset when that relationship ended. Although he would never admit it to anyone, including Rachel, Kurt really hadn't put his entire heart into any of his relationships since Blaine broke it. More like pulled it out of his chest, stomped on it and then shattered it into pieces. Besides, being in love was too distracting. That's why he never dated anyone for longer than a year. He worked too hard and he was too afraid of feeling that same devastating feeling of heartbreak again. He promised himself that he would never experience that again. Being on top of the fashion world would be plenty satisfying enough.

"Sorry Rachel. I really didn't mean to lose track of time and forget our dinner date. It's just that the season is coming to a close and I really need to make sure that my portfolio is perfect for Ms. Spencer. You do realize that in the past three years, I've only had four conversations with her. This is HUGE!" Kurt said.

"Yes, Kurt. I realize what an opportunity this is for you. I'm sending you nothing but good thoughts, but you can't forget about our Monday night dinners. This is the perfect way for us to keep our friendship from failing. Aside from the occasional phone call from Mercedes, we don't have contact with anyone from high school anymore and I really treasure the length our friendship has endured." Rachel was lecturing him.

"How quickly you forget about Finn" Kurt said under his breath.

"I did not forget about Finn!" Damn, Rachel had heard that after all. "Finn and I broke up years ago and though I don't regret my high school sweetheart and I cherish those memories, Marc and I are the real deal. Besides, despite everything, I doubt you regret _your_ high school sweetheart."

"Rachel, we are NOT talking about Blaine. You and Finn had a mature breakup after realizing that you two were heading in different directions. Plus, Finn was miserable here. Blaine and I had the same dreams until he…did what he did. Can we talk about something else? You and Marc have been together for two years now. So, when is he gonna pop the question? And, as your best friend, you might want to tell him to come to me for advice when looking for engagement rings."

Rachel was scowling. "Kurt, I know what Blaine did was horrendous, but you are going to have to let your heart open up to someone. Fashion will not keep you warm at night." Seeing as Kurt was dangerously close to getting up and walking out on their dinner, Rachel quickly changed the subject. "Ok Kurt! I'll drop it. Yes, I'll make sure to strongly hint to Marc to see you before looking for engagement rings but honestly, I don't think that will be happening anytime soon. We haven't even discussed marriage or anything. So, how much longer before your meeting with THE Ms. Rosaline Spencer?"

"Three months. I know that might sound like that's a long way off but Rachel, this is my chance to possibly have my own fashion line. MY OWN FASHION LINE! At the House of Rosaline Spencer. Nothing, and I mean nothing is going to get in the way of making sure my portfolio is perfect and my meeting with her is even more perfect."

* * *

Blaine was miserable. Then again, he was miserable most of the time. When he was in high school, his dreams did not include following in his dad's footsteps and becoming a lawyer. Yet, here he was, a brand new lawyer at Anderson and Son Law Firm. Blaine knew when his father had added the "and Son" to the title of his law firm that it had been a pretty big deal. It was the first time that Mitchell Anderson had been proud of him. When Blaine came out to his parents at 14 he saw the exact moment his father had begun to distance himself from his youngest son. Blaine's father began to pull away even more when Blaine began expressing his interest in performing. He had trouble understanding that. After all, Blaine's older brother, Cooper, was an actor and while he wasn't a huge TV or movie star, their parents had always supported all of Cooper's crazy adventures. Blaine knew it was because he was gay. He just knew it. Blaine's dad pulled away even more when Blaine began dating Kurt and when Blaine had announced plans the following year that he wanted to follow Kurt to NYC after graduating high school, he feared he had lost his father forever. So one could imagine Mitchell Anderson's shock when Blaine came to him halfway through his senior year telling him that he might want to become a lawyer after all. Of course his dad was extremely happy and asked several times what changed his mind. The only answer that Blaine would provide was that he and Kurt were no longer together and he wanted the subject dropped permanently and if that meant that Blaine's father did not have to discuss his son's romantic life, the subject was considered dropped.

Blaine deeply regretted what happened with Kurt and he always would. He never wanted to break his heart the way he did. He loved him and he felt like a part of him would always love him. Blaine had a few boyfriends during law school. Trevor was his longest boyfriend. They had dated for three years and Blaine did love him. Not as much as he loved Kurt but he loved Trevor nonetheless. The relationship ended about six months ago when Trevor began expressing interest in marriage and family. Blaine was forced to take a long hard look at his future and try as he might, he could not see marriage and family with Trevor. Surprisingly, Trevor took the news easily. Apparently he had only begun to approach the topic of marriage and children to gauge Blaine's feelings because as fate would have it, Trevor couldn't imagine a family with Blaine either. The easy breakup allowed them to remain friends and Blaine was grateful for that.

It was late when Blaine finally arrived home that night. He turned on the TV as he was walking into the kitchen to grab a beer and the sounds of West Side Story filled his living room. He stopped in his tracks and found himself staring at the TV, memories of his own run as Tony flooding his mind, which in turn led to memories opening night and the night he shared with Kurt – their first time. Now his mind was trapped in the horrible memory of their last time and the night he shattered Kurt's heart.

* * *

_Seven years ago_

_Kurt and Blaine were laying in bed, cuddled up, post orgasm. Kurt knew something was wrong though. He had felt it the moment he met Blaine at the airport two days earlier. Blaine had insisted that things were fine, he was just tired from finishing first semester exams. Kurt had tried to brush it aside for most of the weekend but here it was, Sunday morning, and Blaine had a flight to catch back to Ohio and Kurt couldn't hold back the questions anymore._

_"Blaine, please tell me what's bothering you. I know it's more than just being tired." Kurt asked._

_"Kurt, please can we drop it and just spend the next couple of hours together?"_

_Kurt had had enough. "Blaine, I've been trying to drop it all weekend. In fact, I've been trying not to notice you pulling way during the past few weekends you've visited. I know that this long distance relationship is hard but we're already halfway through this. We only have six more months and then you're moving here with me. I need to know what's going on."_

_Kurt was right. Blaine had been pulling away. When Kurt moved to NYC in June, they were both convinced that one year would mean nothing. They would be fine. They both had enough to distract themselves with. Kurt and his first year at fashion school and Blaine trying his best to be the perfect student during his senior year. It turns out that the distractions have been the cause of their collapse._

_Sighing Blaine finally opened his mouth. "Kurt, I just don't see this working out. I have been pulling away. I just don't feel like New York is the place for me."_

_"What?!" Kurt jumped up from the bed they were sharing. He was glad that Rachel had agreed to spend the weekend with one of her girlfriends. "Blaine, you can't be serious! Yes, this has been hard and yes, we haven't had the chance to Skype and visit as often as we wanted to but I still love you and I still really want this. Are you telling me that you don't? That you don't love me anymore?"_

_Blaine lowered his gaze to the floor. "Kurt, I don't want New York. I don't want this. What I do want is for you to move on, enjoy the New York lifestyle that you were born to live. I don't want to hold you down from achieving your dreams."_

_"No, Blaine. I don't believe you. You can't even look at me. This isn't want you want."_

_"Kurt, yes it is. My dreams are no longer about New York or being on stage. I missed the deadline for NYADA auditions and I missed it on purpose. I don't want this. I'm staying in Ohio next year and am going to law school. I'm going to join my father's law firm as soon as I graduate and pass the BAR exam. THAT is what I want."_

_"NO! That is NOT want you want! You want me. You want us. You've given me no reason to believe that you were doubting a future with me. None. We just made love, Blaine. What was that? A goodbye?"_

_Blaine was fighting tears and Kurt had let his begin falling a long time ago and Blaine still couldn't look Kurt in the eyes. "Yes, Kurt. It was a goodbye. There will always be a part of me that loves you but this isn't what I want. I'm sorry, I really am but I can't do this anymore."_

_"Blaine…" Kurt was trying very hard to calm down and try to discuss this on a rational level. It was really hard to do though because he couldn't stop the tears from flowing. "I don't know what has been going on with you the past couple of months but I am not accepting this from you. I'm not. I know you still love me. That…" Kurt pointed at the bed "…was not goodbye sex. That was two people in love expressing their feelings before saying a temporary goodbye. NOT a permanent goodbye. There is nothing you can say to convince me otherwise."_

_"I cheated on you…with Sebastian"_

* * *

Yes, Blaine's mind was trapped in that memory. And as often as he tried to push it out of his mind, he was afraid that memory would haunt him for the rest of his days.


	2. Chapter 2

Kurt slowly dragged himself into his apartment, dropped his keys on the little table by the front door and took a look around. He was quite proud of all that he had accomplished since moving to NYC eight years ago. Living with Rachel during his college years had been fun, but he'd decided once he graduated and received his offer to work for The House of Rosaline Spencer that he needed a place of his own. Granted, it was a small one bedroom apartment and didn't have nearly enough closet space to effectively hold all of his clothes but he was happy that he found a place that he could afford and that was in a decent part of the city. Plus, the commute wasn't too bad.

He slowly sunk down on the couch, unable to get his conversation with Rachel out of his head. He absolutely hated it when anyone brought up the subject of Blaine. Rachel especially. Her break up with Finn had been awkward at first but they'd manage to salvage a friendship out of it and she thought maybe, just maybe he would be able to be friends with Blaine someday. Boy was she wrong. Not after what he did. Not after he told him he'd cheated on him with Sebastian. His thoughts floated back to that day and how he'd stormed out of his apartment, telling Blaine to be gone by the time he got back. That was the last time he'd seen Blaine. He was so angry at first and then he spent some time trying to wrap his mind around what Blaine had told him. Blaine was not a cheater…he just wasn't. Blaine loved Kurt. He knew it. There was no way he'd cheat on him. Although Kurt had developed feelings for Blaine first, Blaine was the one who said "I love you" first. He was the one who transferred schools to be with Kurt. Blaine was the one who was so insecure about a long distance relationship the summer before Kurt moved. How could he cheat on Kurt just months after he'd made that move? Were Blaine's feelings for Sebastian stronger than Kurt had realized? Were there secret meetings between the two even before Kurt moved? Kurt had tried to question Artie, Tina and Sam after Blaine's confession. They all told Kurt that they had never seen Sebastian around. But they also informed Kurt that Blaine had seemed different. Sadder, missing that happy personality he usually carried. But they could not get Blaine to open up to them and talk about it.

Kurt let out a loud sigh. This was why he hated anytime Blaine was brought up. It had been so long since the terrible, heartbreaking breakup. Yet, whenever Blaine entered into his thoughts it was extremely hard to get him out. He would always find himself reliving every moment of their relationship, from start to finish, taking extra time to analyze things after Sebastian entered the picture. Kurt knew there was a minor flirtation (well minor on Blaine's part, major on Sebastian's part) but after the rock salt slushie that Blaine took to protect Kurt, Blaine was done with Sebastian. Nearly being blinded by a prank gone wrong had a tendency to do that. Although it seemed as if Blaine was not done with Sebastian after all.

Getting up from his couch, Kurt realized that sleeping was not an option since all of his thoughts would inevitably drift to Blaine – he'd have to thank Rachel again for that later. Kurt found himself at his small desk in the corner of his living room, pulling his sketch book out, deciding he might as well get some more work done. After losing himself in his sketching for about an hour, Kurt took a good long look at his latest design. While he was somewhat satisfied with the design itself, Kurt's eyes drifted up to the drawing of the model wearing the design. He had unconsciously drawn Blaine. Kurt ripped the page from his sketch book, crinkled it into a small ball and threw it across the room.

* * *

Blaine had spent the night tossing and turning – not getting a good night's rest at all. He managed to make it into the office on time though. He had only been in his office for about 20 minutes before his dad called and said he was needed in his office.

"You needed to see me?" Even though Blaine and his father were on better terms, the ice between them had not totally dissolved. Mr. Anderson had been hoping that since going to NYC had been a phase for Blaine, maybe his sexuality would be a phase too. Blaine informed him that while his change in future profession had changed, his sexuality had not.

"Yes Blaine. An interesting case came to my attention this morning. Now, I've currently got too many cases I'm working on to take it on myself but it appears that it does not matter. The client has asked for you to handle his case specifically."

"Me? I haven't handled a case on my own yet." Blaine was surprised to hear someone had asked for him specifically.

"I know Blaine and honestly, I don't think you're ready. I was not going to even tell you about it. I tried to convince this gentleman to bring his case to another law firm. I tried to tell him that he might not get the result he is hoping for with you as his sole attorney. But he was adamant. He would not take no for an answer." Blaine was not surprised to hear his father's lack of confidence in him.

"While I sincerely appreciate your confidence in me dad…" Blaine said sarcastically "…just because I have not handled a case on my own does not mean I am not ready. I graduated in the top of my class. I can do this. Tell me who my client is."

"Blaine, I'm not so sure about this. You haven't even been with the firm for a year yet. Maybe I can get Doug Speagle to handle the case and you can be the alternate. I'll have to ask Doug to move some things around in his schedule but maybe we can find a way for him to make it work. Of course I'll have to task Maryann to…"

Blaine listened to his father go on and on about all the schedule rearranging that would need to take place just to ensure that his son was not handed his own case. It seemed like his father was willing to make himself and others work harder just so that Blaine could be continued to be treated like an intern and not the attorney that he is. Blaine had worked so hard to try to gain his father's respect. He stayed in Ohio, went to law school and graduated in the top percentage of his class. He had an offer after graduation to work at a law firm in Columbus – one that would have paid him more money and would have guaranteed him less hassle than working for his father did. But no; as soon as his father mentioned adding the "and son" to his law firm, Blaine felt as if he had no choice. So he turned down the Columbus job and reluctantly agreed to work with his father.

At least that had made his mother happy. Suzanne Anderson wasn't completely happy when Blaine told his family he was gay. But she was his mother and she loved him regardless. She was just concerned with how much more difficult it is for gay kids than straight kids. She had been proven right at Blaine's Sadie Hawkins dance. While his mother took care of him after the incident, all his father had said was "This is your life now…welcome to it. Nothing I can do to prevent your hard road ahead". Not long after that, Blaine transferred to Dalton Academy at his mother's request.

"DAD!" Blaine practically shouted, finally coming out of his own head.

"Blaine, need I remind you that though I am your father you will treat me with respect. I will not tolerate you speaking to me in that manner or interrupting me while I am speaking. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I'm sorry. But I know I can do this. I need you to have some faith in me for once. Please tell me who the client is."

Mr. Anderson took a long pause before saying the last name that Blaine would have ever guessed.

"Burt Hummel…"

"Burt Hummel? Did you say Burt Hummel?" Blaine was shocked. That was the absolute last name he thought his father would tell him. His mind was spinning. Why did Burt Hummel need an attorney? He knew it was not a criminal case as they were not criminal attorneys. Did Kurt know his father was in need of an attorney? Did Kurt know his father had requested Blaine specifically?

"Yes, you heard me correctly. Now I assume you know why he asked for you specifically?"

"No dad, I don't know why Burt, uh, Mr. Hummel asked for me. I haven't been in contact with the Hummel family since Kurt and I split up. In fact, I assumed that Mr. Hummel wanted nothing to do with me."

It was true. Aside from one rather nasty encounter with Finn, after his break up with Kurt, the Hummel family had disappeared from his life. Next to losing Kurt that was the hardest thing. He loved the Hummel family more than his own sometimes. Burt and Carole had always been so accepting of him in their son's life, treating him as if he were their son as well. Burt had told Blaine one night that regardless of what happened between him and Kurt in the future, he would always have a home in the Hummel household. Somehow after what Blaine had told Kurt the day they broke up, Blaine doubted that he would be welcome in the Hummel household anymore. Finn had informed him that he was right and no longer welcome.

"Well whatever his reason, Mr. Hummel did ask for you and only you. I'm going to do as you asked me and have some faith in you. But I've got to tell you Blaine, I have serious doubts that you can handle this. If you lose this case, the reputation this law firm has for winning cases will take a big hit. I cannot afford to lose the momentum we are building. Do you realize that we are now the top law firm in the county? Not just in Westerville, Blaine, but the entire county. Losing this case will have some major consequences for not just this law firm but for you as well."

"Yes, dad, I am aware of our reputation and I promise to work my ass off to win this case. I do kind of need to hear what the case is about though."

"Ok, one more thing before I give you specifics. Promise me that if you find yourself in over your head you will ask for assistance. I cannot have you lose this case Blaine."

"I promise. Specifics please?"

Mr. Anderson sighed. "Blaine, I assume Kurt is still living in New York and I know you ended your…relationship a long time ago but I need to know that if he shows up in Lima at any time to assist his father or simply to visit, you will remain distant. I cannot have your past getting tangled up in your present."

Blaine's breath hitched at the mention of Kurt returning to Lima for any reason. Yes, Blaine was aware that Kurt had most likely returned to Lima several times over the years to visit. He also knew that while he was in law school and then returning to live in Westerville, the chances of ever running into Kurt was slim. Blaine was right. He had not laid eyes on Kurt since he stormed out of his apartment that fateful morning.

"Blaine! Are you even listening to me? That far-off look is exactly what I am talking about. I simply mentioned Mr. Hummel's son and you might as well have left the room. Your brain certainly did." Mr. Anderson began pacing his office. "No, I can't do this. I can't give this case to you."

"Dad I'm sorry. Please…"

"Blaine." Mr. Anderson interrupted. "I know you and I do not talk about personal issues. And I do not want to get in the habit of it now…"

_Yes, dad, because it's more important to treat me as an employee rather than your son._ Blaine thought.

"…but maybe I need to know what happened with you and Kurt. He was high school for you. You were with this Trevor person for much longer than you were with Kurt, yet you have no hang-ups where Trevor is concerned. What is it about Kurt Hummel that you can't let go of?" The sheer look of horror on his father's face that Blaine might actually answer his question was all he needed to see to dash the small hope that his father might want to have an actual father/son discussion.

"Dad, I'd rather not discuss it. You're right. I'm not about to let my past get tangled up with my present. Kurt is in my past and will remain there. This case is my future. I can guarantee you that there will be nothing that distracts me from winning this case."

With a questionable look of relief on his face his father continued. "Ok, I'm sure you've heard about the new mini-mall that Clover Inc, is looking to construct in Lima."

"Yes, I know of the development plans. I read about it in the paper."

"Well they want to put the mini-mall on Glendale Avenue – and Mr. Hummel's tire shop is right in the middle of their desired location. Clover Inc, has been buying out all of the other businesses and purchasing what free land is available in order to proceed with their construction plans. However, Mr. Hummel has refused to sell. They have offered Mr. Hummel quite a large sum of money to buy him out but he does not want to see his family business be demolished just so another mall can go up in its place."

"Wow" Blaine sighed. He had read about the development plans in the paper but he did not connect the dots as to where the location would be. "Is Mr. Hummel the only business owner refusing to sell?"

"No. There is one other gentleman. Mr. Donald Roberts, the owner of the ice cream parlor, uh, Kate's Ice Cream. That has apparently been a staple of Lima since the 1950s. Mr. Roberts' grandmother started the business. I recommended that Mr. Hummel join forces with Mr. Roberts and fight this together but it seems that Mr. Roberts wants to handle this on his own. So, here we are…with Mr. Hummel requesting you after hearing that Mr. Roberts had hired an attorney of his own and after receiving one too many phone calls from the attorneys working on behalf of Clover Inc,. He's just not comfortable speaking to one of their attorneys on his own."

"And he shouldn't. Mr. Hummel was right to hire an attorney. Those attorneys working for Clover Inc, will try to get him to sign his business away without him even realizing it."

"Blaine, I asked you earlier if you knew why Mr. Hummel would personally request you. Are you sure you don't know the answer to that question?" His father obviously wanted an answer he couldn't give...

Blaine walked back into his office with all of the preliminary information that his father had given him. First order of business was to call Mr. Hummel and schedule a meeting.

"Hello? Mr. Hummel? This is, uh, Blaine Anderson calling."

* * *

Blaine was nervous. Mr. Hummel had agreed to meet with him at The Lima Bean this afternoon to discuss the case. He thought it had been a long time since he'd seen Kurt. It had been even longer since he'd seen Mr. Hummel. While Blaine was waiting with his medium drip he tried to calm his nerves. After all, Mr. Hummel had personally requested him. And after doing some further research it was true that Kate's Ice Cream Parlor and Hummel Tires and Lube were the only two businesses holding up the development plan. That provided him with some relief – knowing that Mr. Hummel wasn't waiting to kill Blaine when he least expected it for breaking his son's heart.

"Blaine. You look good kid."  At Mr. Hummel's appearance, he stood up and shook his outstretched hand.

"Mr. Hummel, it's nice to see you again." Mr. Hummel took a seat across from Blaine. "Um, I have some basic background information I'd like to go over with you first before digging any deeper. Now, from what I've heard about Clover Inc,…" Blaine knew he was rambling. He couldn't help it. Sure, Mr. Hummel called him 'kid' and shook his hand. And he didn't have a terribly angry look on his face but no one could deny that this was more than a little awkward.

"Blaine, stop." Blaine stopped talking and looked up at Mr. Hummel. "Look, I know this is weird for both of us. But I think before we dig any deeper as you put it, we should clear a few things up that don't have anything to do with this damn company trying to steamroll my business."

"Umm, ok." Now Blaine was more nervous than ever.

"First, call me Burt. I may HATE what you did to Kurt but I am just a simple man and Mr. Hummel sounds too formal. Now, speaking of Kurt, he does not know any of this is going on and I'd like to keep it that way. He has a huge opportunity to maybe get his drawings made into actual clothes and he's really excited about it so I don't want anything to distract him from his work."

Blaine couldn't believe what he was hearing. Kurt might get his own fashion line? His mind immediately pictured an overly excited but stressed out Kurt hunched over his desk sketching away. His dreams were really coming true. And while that made Blaine happy he also realized that since Kurt knew nothing of what was going on here in Lima, there would be no chance of accidently running into him. Blaine didn't even realize that he was secretly hoping he would, until the possibility was taken away from him. No, this was actually good though – no chance of running into Kurt meant no distractions that could possibly cost him the case which would have more repercussions than just losing his job and hurting the reputation of his father's law firm. Losing the case meant Burt losing his business.

"Mr, uh, Burt. I'm sure you're aware that I have not spoken to Kurt in years. He will not hear about any of this from me. And I'm happy to hear that he's doing well. However, since you brought Kurt up, may I ask why you requested me specifically as your attorney? You must know that I haven't even been with my father's firm for a year now. And with what happened between Kurt and myself I thought for a moment that you might have walked in that door with your shotgun in hand."

Burt smiled a little at the shotgun comment. "Look kid. No, I'm not happy about what you did to Kurt. When he called me that day he was crying so hard I could hardly understand what he was telling me. He couldn't believe what you did. Hell, I couldn't believe what you did. Kurt threatened to quit school, leave New York and come back here because he was convinced you were lying."

Blaine sucked in a hard breath. He doesn't know what he would have done if Kurt had actually quit school and come back home. That would have only made him feel guiltier than he already did.

Burt continued on. "But I told him to stay where he was and put all of his concentration into school. Thank God he listened to his old man. Now, I don't want to get into what happened between the two of you back then. I don't want to discuss the past anymore. Despite all of that, I still trust you for some reason. And I knew that you would understand how important Hummel Tires and Lube is to my family. So when I figured out that I should hire someone I remembered seeing your graduation announcement in the paper and called your office. I've got to say that I was surprised to hear you'd gone to work with your dad. I know things weren't always perfect between the two of you growing up. Sadly I guess things haven't changed much. When I asked for you I was transferred to your dad and he tried his best to get me to hire someone else."

Blaine knew he shouldn't be surprised anymore by his father's lack of confidence in him but it always stung just a little bit every time he was reminded.

"Burt, thank you for having the confidence to hire me. Yes, I do know how important your business is to you and I will do everything in my power to ensure you keep it. Things between my father and I are always going to be complicated but you should know that there will be zero distractions from me winning this case."

"Good to hear. Now I guess we should get down to business."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should inform you all that I am not an attorney. So I ask that you just go with it if there are any inaccuracies - with this chapter or any of them going forward. On that note - see y'all again next Sunday! :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Laying a little bit of groundwork. Bare with me. And remember, I'm not an attorney so just go with it. It is fiction after all.
> 
> Mistakes are all mine.

Kurt had spent the past few weeks trying to ensure that his designs were perfect. However, he was suffering from a serious case of designers block. He had absolutely zero inspiration. Not since he had drawn Blaine's face as the model on one of his designs. After spending all day yesterday in his office accomplishing nothing, he decided to spend today at home. His direct supervisor told him it didn't matter where he sketched, as long as his portfolio was ready in time for his meeting with Rosaline Spencer. This might have been a bad idea though. Even though Blaine had never been in this apartment, he still felt somehow closer to Blaine here. He couldn't describe it but he did. And feeling anything about Blaine was completely out of the question. He had to get back on track. He had just over two months left until the meeting that would determine his future.

Kurt was just about to decide on dinner when he heard a knock at the door.

"Rachel? What's going on? What are you doing here? It's not Monday is it?"

"Kurt…are you so blinded by your designs that you don't even know what day of the week it is?"

"No…it's just been a bad day. Please come in." Kurt ushered Rachel into his tiny apartment and closed the door behind her. "What can I do for you? Would you like to join me for dinner?"

"Thank you but no. I just needed to talk to you about something." Kurt looked at her with confusion on his face. She had a serious look on her face…one that he hadn't seen in a long time.

"Kurt when was the last time you spoke to your father?"

"A few days ago. Why? Oh My God Rachel! Is something wrong with him?"

"No! Calm down! He's fine for now."

"Fine for now? What does that even mean?" Kurt had begun to pace around his living room.

"So he never mentioned anything going on with the shop?"

"No. Nothing. Rachel, tell me what it is that I don't know."

"Finn called me the other day. We were just catching up with each other. He asked me how Marc was and he let me know about how things were going with him and Lindsey. Apparently they're more serious than I thought. I can't believe they've been together for a year now. You do know this is the first serious girlfriend he's has since we broke up? I think he was hoping that I'd be a little jealous but I'm really not. I really am over him and…"

"RACHEL! What does any of this have to do with my dad's tire shop?" Good grief that girl always had the uncanny ability to turn things into being about her.

"Oh! Sorry! Anyway, Finn was telling me about this development company that wants to build a mini-mall on Glendale Avenue. Basically, they're trying to push your dad out but he doesn't want to sell. Apparently this little battle between your dad and the development company, Clover Inc, I think, has been going on for quite some time. Finn was a little concerned because it has your dad really stressed out. Carole and Finn have been trying to keep him calm but your dad really doesn't want to lose his business."

"Shit Rachel. My dad can't be stressed out. The doctor was very adamant about that after his first heart attack. If he gets stressed he doesn't eat right and those two combined could lead to another heart attack! Finn is useless when it comes to making sure my dad eats right and God bless Carole but she has a full time job. She can't watch after him all day! That's it! I need to go home! I'm the only one that can take care of my dad properly!"

Kurt jumped up and ran to his bedroom, Rachel closely following. "Wait! Rachel, why didn't my dad mention any of this to me? I just spoke to him a few days ago and he said absolutely nothing!"

"Kurt, slow down. You can't just leave and fly back to Lima. Have you already forgotten your meeting with THE Ms. Rosaline Spencer? That's why your dad didn't mention any of this to you. He doesn't want you to have anything distracting you from reaching your goals – achieving your dreams."

Kurt sunk down on his bed. Shit, she was right. What was he going to do? In all the excitement about what was going on at home and his father's stress level he had completely forgotten about the possibility of having his own fashion line.

"Damnit! Why did this have to happen now? Why are you telling me this if it was so obvious that my dad didn't want me to know?"

"I don't know Kurt. Finn asked me not to tell you. No one wants you to be distracted right now. But I know if it were my family involved in something like this I'd want to know. I just felt like you should know. But you really don't have to rush home. Finn said Carole is keeping a good watch on your dad and they've hired an attorney to help with the discussions going on between Hummel Tires and Lube and Clover Inc,. You really need to stay here and focus on your designs. Come on, let's go grab some dinner and calm down."

"Wait, they've hired an attorney?" Of course that would be the one thing that Kurt picked up on. Rachel really, really hoped she could steer this conversation away from the attorney Burt had hired. She couldn't believe her ears when Finn told her that Burt had hired Blaine. She didn't even know Blaine had become an attorney. Hell, she seriously doubted that Kurt knew either. According to Finn he wasn't happy about it either but Burt had insisted…something about despite Blaine's past Burt felt like he could trust him because Blaine was one the only attorney around that knew how important the shop was to Burt.

"Um, yeah. That's what Finn said." Please, please leave it at that Kurt, Rachel silently prayed.

"Who?"  Kurt asked.

Rachel hoped she could lie her way out of this. "Um, I'm not totally sure."

"Rachel, you're not telling me something. I know that look on your face. You know something and if you don't want me to hop on the next flight to Lima, you'd better tell me right now."

Oh, sometimes Rachel wished Kurt didn't know her as well as he did. "Um, Anderson and Son Law Firm." She said it under her breath, hoping Kurt would not hear her.

"Anderson? As in Mitchell Anderson? As in Blaine's father? And did you say 'and son'?"

"I might have said that, yes."

"Oh my God. Blaine really did become an attorney after all. Rachel, tell me, who did my dad hire. Mitchell or Blaine?"

"Does it really matter as long as someone is helping him with discussions?"

"Yes, Rachel! It matters! Who did he hire? Mitchell or Blaine?"

"Blaine"

"Fuck me…"

"Kurt listen…"

"No! Rachel, why would my dad hire Blaine? Blaine of all people? There have to be more attorneys in Ohio that my dad could've hired." Kurt really was at a loss. He was experiencing an extreme case of designers block due to Blaine invading his thoughts. He really didn't understand why that was happening either. Sure, Kurt thought of Blaine from time to time but he was always able to push him out of his mind. But Rachel had been bringing him up in conversation recently. "Is this why you've been mentioning Blaine more often?"

"No Kurt, that's not why I've been mentioning Blaine more often. I really don't know why I've been doing that either. I just know that no matter how many times you tell me you're happy, I know you're really not. Yes, getting your own fashion line will be amazing and I really want that for you but I also want you to find love."

"With Blaine? Rachel have you forgotten what he did to me? He CHEATED on me…with Sebastian of all people! Why in the name of God would you want me to get back together with Blaine?"

"Kurt I never said you should get back together with Blaine. I just don't think you've fully put the situation behind you. You stormed out of our apartment right after Blaine told you about Sebastian and you haven't seen or spoken to him since. There was all of this anger there and you never had closure."

"I had closure. I talked to Tina and Sam and they told me Blaine was miserable. That was closure enough for me."

"No, that is not closure. Tell me this. Do you know if Blaine dated Sebastian after you two broke up? Do you know when he cheated on you? Do you know if it happened only once or more than once? Was it just a fling between them or were there actual feelings involved?"

"I can't answer any of those questions nor do I want to. Did it ever occur to you that I don't want to know if Blaine slept with Sebastian more than once? The point is, it happened. And if it happened once or more than once it obviously means that Blaine didn't have the feelings for me that I thought he did."

"Kurt, I am your best friend. Do you think I haven't noticed you've been experiencing designers block? Every time I ask you about what style you're working on you give me some lame ass answer that tells me that you've got nothing. Now, I might not be the fashion expert that you are but I've spent enough time around you to know when you're bullshitting me. Which is exactly what you're doing right now. I know you need the answers to these questions before you can fully move on. Maybe you should go home for a few days and check on your dad, assess the situation, and maybe, just maybe have a long awaited chat with Blaine so you can finally put this thing behind you once and for all."

"Weren't you just telling me that I needed to stay here and focus on my work? That I needed zero distractions? Now you want me to go and talk to Blaine of all people? What makes you think I would ever want to do that?" Kurt was starting to lose his patience with Rachel.

"Yes, Kurt I did say that. But that was before you dragged Blaine's name out of me and I can see that you're not over what happened. Can't you see this is all one big distraction? Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned this to you at all but I know you would have found out eventually and you would have been pissed at me when you found out I knew and said nothing."

Kurt knew Rachel was right and he hated that. He never wanted to admit that although the questions about Blaine and Sebastian were not questions he wanted answers to, he also knew that he would never fully move on and get past his designers block if he didn't get those answers.

"Kurt imagine for a moment that Blaine was not involved with what's going on with your dad's shop at home. Imagine that it was some other nameless attorney that Burt had hired. Wouldn't you want to go home to check on your dad?"

"Yes."

"So go. For the weekend. And if you're not comfortable with the possibility of seeing Blaine and getting closure then just tell your dad that while you're there that you don't want to see him. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe you don't need answers regarding what happened with Blaine. Maybe just a change of scenery will cure your designers block and you can return to perfection once you get back."

Kurt let out a heavy sigh. "Ok, let's book a flight."

* * *

Blaine felt like he was making some progress with Burt's case. Those guys at Clover Inc, sure played hardball and Burt was right in hiring an attorney. He was sure that Burt would have accidently sold his shop without ever realizing it if Blaine hadn't entered the picture. Blaine was lucky in the fact that Hummel Tires and Lube was located on the corner of Glendale Avenue and all Clover Inc, had to agree to was shortening their mini-mall by one block. The problem with that was that meant eliminating one third of their stores and it was a mini-mall after all. There weren't that many stores in the mini-mall to begin with. Burt had made it clear to Blaine on day one that there was no amount of money they could offer him that would cause him to sell. Burt wasn't too thrilled about having his shop located beside a mini-mall but he would compromise that in order to keep his shop open.

Sure if Burt would agree to a settlement the payout should equal the amount the mini-mall would lose in the loss of stores if Burt did not agree to a payout. The problem with that theory as Blaine explained to Burt is that Clover Inc, expected to make up that settlement money by opening all of the stores they planned. Even if the mini-mall was only open for five years, the profit would be huge. It would far outweigh the cost of whatever settlement they paid Burt. That was why Clover Inc, was not going down without a fight. Burt didn't care. If it was a fight they wanted, it was a fight they were going to get.

Actually, the most difficult part of this case was Mr. Anderson's constant involvement. Blaine was required to file a report to his father daily, briefing him on the status of the case. This was nothing new. Status reports were common, but Mr. Anderson went over Blaine's status reports with a fine tooth comb, picking it apart bit by bit. It was clear that although Blaine was doing everything right, his father still did not have confidence in him to win this case. Blaine was making sure to work extra hard on this. He knew that his father had threatened him with his job if he'd lost, but honestly he didn't really care about that. Being a lawyer and working with his father had never been his lifelong dream. He'd made certain sacrifices for the happiness of others. In fact, sometimes he thought his father was trying to set him up for failure. Mitchell Anderson did not care about Hummel Tires and Lube. The only reason he wanted Blaine to win was for his reputation. But Mr. Anderson was not making it easy on him. On top of his case, Blaine was still being treated as an intern. He still found himself with a stack of busy work on his desk every morning. Blaine was required to complete research for the cases that other attorneys in the firm were working on while at the same time completing work on his own case and turning in his status report at the end of each day. Blaine grew more and more frustrated with his father everyday yet even though it required long days, Blaine knew he had to do this for Burt. This wasn't about Blaine's job or his future as an attorney. This was about Burt Hummel…and his family.

Blaine was glad that he and Burt were getting along. They never spoke about Kurt or the past. Although Blaine always knew when Kurt would call his father, which was often. Burt wouldn't say a word to Blaine, just silently excuse himself but the small smile on his face was a giveaway, which is exactly what he'd just done.

"Hey kid before we continue I'm going to need you to either cancel our meeting with those bonehead attorneys from those mini-mall people or you're going to need to take the meeting on Friday without me. Can you do that?"

"Sure Burt. I don't need you to be at Friday's meeting. I know exactly what you want and what you don't want." Knowing that Burt had just gotten off the phone with Kurt, Blaine couldn't stop himself from asking "Is everything alright? You've always wanted to attend every meeting."

"Everything is fine Blaine. I just need a break for the weekend. You know, no talk about the case, no stress and no offense kid, but no attorney."

"No problem. I'll just swing by quickly after the meeting on Friday to brief you and then you won't have to see my face until Monday."

"Blaine, I shouldn't be telling you this but I really need you to steer clear of here this weekend. Kurt is coming in for a visit."

"Oh…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the lack of Klaine. But it's coming!! See ya next Sunday!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the next installment.
> 
> All mistakes are mine. Enjoy!

Kurt stood in the middle of his father's shop and looked around. His father was on the phone in his office. He had no idea who he was talking to but he hoped it wasn't Blaine. He had made it clear to his father that he did not want to see or hear from Blaine while he was in town. Kurt took a moment to relive the conversation he had with his father two days earlier:

_"Dad, I just had an interesting conversation with Rachel."_

_"Oh yeah? How is her play going?"_

_"This time it actually wasn't about her. When were you planning on telling me that you are fighting to keep the shop open? And before you ask, Finn told Rachel who in turn told me."_

_"Damn that boy! I told him not to tell anyone!" Burt exclaimed._

_"Finn is not the issue here dad. The issue is that YOU didn't tell me. Don't you think that is something I should have been told?"_

_"Kurt, I know you have a lot going on at work. I really want to see you making clothes like you've always dreamed. And I know you've got this big meeting in a couple of months. I didn't want to distract you from focusing on that. You've worked so hard for this and I'm so proud of you. Besides, things are looking good here. I've got everything under control."_

_"Really? Are you sure that's all? Are you sure there isn't anything else you want to tell me?" Kurt asked._

_Burt knew Kurt could possibly know about him hiring Blaine as his attorney but just in case Finn hadn't mentioned that part to Rachel he decided to play dumb. "Uh, yeah, that's all Kurt. Things are looking good here. Aside from a few little discussions here and there it's looking more and more like I'll be able to keep the shop and before you ask, I'm fine too. Carole is taking very good care of me."_

_Kurt sighed. When he first heard his father had hired Blaine he was so angry but hearing the sound of his dad's voice and knowing that things weren't quite as certain as Burt was leading him to believe, he couldn't be angry anymore._

_"Dad, I've got a few days off and honestly I think a change of scenery might do me some good. I've booked a flight and I'm going to come home for a few days. Just do me one favor…"_

_"Name it." Burt stated._

_"Make sure Blaine stays away while I'm there."_

_When Burt picked him up from the airport he promised he'd told Blaine to stay away for the weekend. Kurt finally asked why he hired Blaine where there were so many other attorneys in the state._

_"Look Kurt, please don't see it as me choosing him over you because you know I would never do that. I just knew that when it came to hiring someone I needed a person that understood how important the shop is to me. Any other lawyer would just see it as any other place, but not Blaine. He has a personal connection to the shop."_

_"Dad! His personal connection is ME!"_

_"Blaine and I didn't discuss what happened between you two. I told him in the beginning that I wanted you left out of this completely. But I could see the hurt and sadness in his face from just that one tiny mention of you. I don't know anything about his personal life other than the fact that his dad still seems to be making life rough on him, but I can tell you this…that boy has grown up into a mature young man. I can tell he has a lot of regrets about his past but he is a good man now."_

_"Well if you want to be friends with him that's your business. Just leave me out of it. I don't want anything to do with him!"_

**

Burt came out of his office and snapped Kurt from his thoughts. "What are you thinking about son?"

Kurt looked thoughtful for a moment then said, "Dad, why don't you just sell? You would never have to work another day in your life. I'm sure whatever they're offering you is huge. Retire early and relax. Travel. Come spend some time with me in New York!"

"Kurt, it's not about the money. It's about the memories. I can't stand the thought of this building being torn down when there are so many memories here."

"Yeah, like you having your heart attack here. What a great memory to preserve." Kurt said sarcastically.

"Look over there. See the desk in my office? That's where you used to sit and color or do homework after school before your mother would come pick you up to take you home. That corner over there? You fell down and lost your first tooth in that corner. You learned to ride a bike in the street out back. I taught you how to work on cars here. Now I may not know much about clothes but you and I know cars. I taught Finn how to work on cars here. And like it or not, yes, this is the place where your very first boyfriend told me how he felt about you. Everywhere I look is another memory. I can't just stand aside and let all of those memories get torn down."

Kurt had tears in his eyes. He hugged his father, finally understanding why he was fighting so hard to keep this place open. "I get it dad. Come on. Let's go home. It's Friday afternoon and I just got here. I'd like to see Carole and Finn. I'm sure Tom can handle things here for the rest of the day."

"Sounds like a plan."

* * *

Blaine had just finished meeting with the attorneys from Clover Inc, and while he was sure of what Burt wanted, he felt it was his responsibility to let him know of the latest offer. It was huge. It was more money than they'd offered so far and honestly, Blaine himself would have a hard time turning down that kind of money.

As much as it was killing him to know that Kurt was so close, he promised Burt that he would stay away. With all of this going on Kurt was drifting into his thoughts more and more. Seven years had gone by. Surely they've both grown right? Blaine was sure he had. He wasn't the same stupid 18 year old kid anymore and he would love to have the chance to apologize to Kurt for everything. Maybe he could tell him what really happened all those years ago. But no, he promised Burt he would stay away. As much as it pained him, Blaine lost Kurt in New York seven years ago and he would just have to continue to live with that misery.

He had to do something though. The attorney's from Clover Inc, needed an answer Monday morning. He should have just flat out said no, his client is turning down the offer. It was a lot of money though. If there was anything that might make Burt tip over to the other side, this amount of money might be the reason. Then it hit him, he'd just give him a call. That was safe, easy and then he'd be done with it for the weekend.

* * *

Kurt was sitting in the kitchen drinking a cup of coffee. Carole and Finn had gone to the store to pick up some things for dinner. Burt was upstairs in the bathroom. Kurt was thinking about getting his sketch pad out and making an attempt at sketching. He had to admit that he did feel more at peace here than he thought he would. Just as he got up, he heard his dad's phone ring. He glanced at it and did not recognize the number.

"Dad!" He called up the stairs. "Your phone is ringing!"

"Do you mind answering it Kurt? It might be Tom at the shop. I told him to call if there were any problems."

Kurt grabbed the phone and hit the 'talk' button. "Hello? Burt Hummel's phone. This is his son Kurt speaking."

"Uh, Kurt? Uh, this is, uh…" Blaine was speaking softly. He never dreamed that Kurt would answer the phone.

"Blaine. I recognize your voice." Kurt was expecting his voice to sound harsh, sharp. He did not expect it to match Blaine's softness. "What do you want?" There was some of the bitterness returning.

"Uh, Kurt I swear your dad, uh, told me not to come by this, uh, weekend. It's just, uh…" When did Blaine start stuttering? "It's just that, uh, I had a meeting this afternoon. There's a new settlement offer on the table. Uh, I have to give them an answer Monday morning."

"Blaine, you know my dad does not want to sell. End of story. Goodbye."

"Kurt! Wait! Don't hang up! This is a LOT of money that they're offering. It's my job as his attorney to make sure he is aware of all of his options."

Kurt sighed. "Fine, I'll have him call you back. I'm hanging up now."

And with that, all Blaine heard was silence.

* * *

Kurt was lying in his bed, having told his family that he was tired from his flight. Actually, he couldn't get Blaine out of his head. He told his dad to call him back and Burt apologized for telling him to answer his phone. His dad made the phone call in the other room so he had no idea how much money was being offered or whether or not his dad had decided to settle. Honestly, that was the last thing he could think about.

Blaine's voice…his silky, smooth voice. The sound of Blaine saying Kurt's name. The sound of Blaine _screaming_ Kurt's name. No! Kurt should not be thinking about that! Then why did he have such vivid memories of Blaine screaming Kurt's name? Why did Kurt secretly copy down Blaine's phone number before he came upstairs? Was Rachel right? He didn't think he'd need closure. When he got to Lima earlier this afternoon he had no desire to contact Blaine. But hearing Blaine's voice…that voice. He realized that he was still angry at that voice but what scared him was how much he missed that voice. Before he really realized what he was doing he pulled out his phone and sent a text.

_(9:08pm)_

_Blaine…it's Kurt_

_(9:13pm)_

_Kurt?_

_(9:15pm)_

_Yes_

_(9:16pm)_

_Hi._

_(9:17pm)_

_Hi…I don't know why I texted you. I'm sorry if I bothered you._

_(9:17pm)_

_Kurt! No! It's no bother, I promise. Do you need something from me?_

_(9:19pm)_

_I don't know…no…yes…closure_

_(9:20pm)_

_Closure?_

_(9:22pm)_

_Yes. Can you meet me at The Lima Bean tomorrow for coffee?_

_(9:23pm)_

_Absolutely. Just name the time._

Just like that and they had a meeting scheduled. Both boys were nervous and knew they wouldn't sleep much that night. Blaine was shocked to receive Kurt's text. He knew then he needed to tell Kurt the truth about what happened. But could he?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the little cliffhanger. But at least the communication between the boys has started. Next up is the meeting at The Lima Bean!
> 
> See ya next Sunday! :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blaine's truth. Also remember that I am not a lawyer, nor do I know much about property law. So as part of reading this piece of fiction, I ask that you just go with it.
> 
> Mistakes are mine. And to add the disclaimer that I do not own these characters.

Blaine arrived at The Lima Bean earlier than planned. He couldn't help it. Sleep evaded him last night. When he'd been hired by Burt there was a secret part of him that hoped he'd come into contact with Kurt somehow. But when Burt said he didn't want Kurt knowing about the case his hopes were dashed. Next thing he knew Blaine was being asked to keep his distance from the Hummel home because Kurt was coming into town. When did Kurt even find out about the case? It had been a complete accident that Blaine had even spoken with Kurt. Blaine's heart nearly jumped out of his chest when he got the text from Kurt last night and he stopped breathing for a moment when he asked to meet him for coffee. Coffee – maybe he should have skipped his medium drip this morning. He was jittery enough as it was.

Kurt was pulling up at The Lima Bean, hands gripped so tight around the steering wheel. He didn't mention to his dad where he was going. He didn't think Burt would be angry. He seemed to like adult Blaine. That was part of why he texted Blaine last night. He couldn't get him out of his head…that voice. But he also could tell that his dad trusted Blaine and although his dad would never to push him into talking to Blaine (unlike Rachel), his dad would probably agree it might be a good idea to try to get some closure. And that's all this would be. He just needed to have some of his questions answered. After today he could put all of this behind him once and for all, push Blaine into his past and leave him there. Kurt slowly pushed the door to the coffee shop open and caught Blaine's eye the instant he stepped inside.

Blaine heard the door to The Lima Bean open and raised his head. His eyes instantly connected with Kurt's. He found his breath caught in the back of his throat. Damn, he looked good. Although Kurt always did. His hair was perfectly styled, his natural highlights more prominent. He was wearing dark blue skinny jeans tucked into a pair of white boots (designer he assumed), a white button up shirt with the top few buttons unbuttoned showing just enough skin that caused Blaine to subconsciously lick his lips, and a blue vest that perfectly accented his eyes. Those eyes, those crystal blue eyes. Blaine remembered how many times he had gotten lost in those eyes. He literally could not take his own eyes off of Kurt. He was just as beautiful as he remembered.

Kurt slowly walked over to Blaine's table, clearly nervous. Blaine stood up, a little fidgety, not knowing what to do. He had not laid eyes on Kurt since he stormed out seven years ago. He wanted to hug him but it seemed a little inappropriate for him to do that.

"Kurt. Hi."

"Um, hi. I'm going to go get a cup of coffee. I'll be right back." Kurt turned around and went to stand in line. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. He didn't expect Blaine to look that good. Kurt wanted to believe he'd turned into some sort of monster after what he'd done to him. But that was clearly not the case as the past few years have certainly been good to Blaine in the looks department. Kurt could tell that Blaine had put an effort into how he looked today. His hair was cut short but it was gel-free – a style Kurt had always wanted him to wear. He loved those natural curls of his. He was wearing black jeans with a black sweater vest and a red long sleeved shirt underneath that managed to hug him in all the right places despite the layers. It might have been a simple outfit but it looked amazing on him.

As Kurt made his way back to Blaine's table, he could sense that Blaine was just as nervous as he was. He had to push those nerves aside and just get the answers he needed. However, in pushing aside the nerves he somehow pushed away the anger away as well, without realizing it at first.

"So, Blaine…my dad's lawyer huh?"

"Um, yeah. Look Kurt, I don't know what your dad might have said but I hope you know that he hired me. I didn't seek him out."

"Yeah, my dad told me that. I just didn't know you went through with becoming an attorney. But I guess I understand why my dad hired you. You have a history with the shop as well. Plus my dad seems to like you…at least that's what he says."

"Your dad and Carole have been very nice. Finn on the other hand…" Blaine trailed off. He wasn't sure he wanted to tread onto that topic just yet. Kurt was actually being civil and he didn't want to push his luck just yet. "Anyway, I'm assuming you found out about the case when you came home then?"

"No, actually. Rachel told me about the case a few days ago. Finn told her but no one wanted me to know because I've got some important work to focus on and they didn't want me to get distracted. But stress is not good for my dad and even though Carole is great I feel like I'm the only one that can look after him properly sometimes."

"Well I've been doing my best to look after him. Your dad told me during our first meeting that he didn't want you finding out about what was going on here. I haven't forgotten how much you love your dad Kurt. So I decided I would look after him for you."

Kurt looked down at his coffee cup sheepishly. "Thank you." He cleared his throat. "So, did my dad accept yesterday's offer? I didn't ask him."

"No. He is adamant about not selling. It was a lot of money though. It would have been hard for me to turn down, that's for sure."

"Blaine, do you think you can win this case? I don't know all of the details but it seems like this other company does not want to accept that my dad doesn't want to sell. Can they force him to sell?"

"They tried that angle already Kurt. But your dad owns the building. The problem is that your dad does not own the land." Blaine sighed. "Leave the law to me Kurt, but yes, I think I can win this case for your dad. I wouldn't have taken him on as a client if I didn't think I could win."

"I hear you're working for your dad. I hope that means things have gotten a little better between you two."

Blaine let out a small chuckle. "Not exactly. My father did not want to give me this case. He tried to persuade Burt to go to another law firm. He was willing to give up business just so I wasn't given my own case. Thankfully, your dad can be pretty stubborn."

"Why are you working for him then? Why not go to another law firm?"

"Well it makes my mother happy but Kurt, you know Mitchell Anderson. He always seems to get his way. He hasn't changed one bit. He still hates that I'm gay, always will. He thinks that makes me less of a man so I find myself trying extra hard to please him. It doesn't matter though. I'm still an intern in his eyes…speaks to me like I'm one too, in front of everyone. It's actually a little humiliating. You should see the amount of leg work I'm still required to do for the other attorneys in the firm on top of all the work I'm doing for your father. It will never change but this is my life."

"I'm sorry to hear that Blaine." Before he knew what he was doing Kurt reached across the table and took Blaine's hand in his. The heat that radiated at their touch could have set fire to the coffee shop. That same heat caused Kurt to pull back as if he'd just been burned. Not knowing what to do, Kurt cleared his throat awkwardly.

Blaine tried to relieve the tension by speaking first. "Um, so enough about my miserable job. Your dad tells me you're finding success in New York. I mean, um, your dad didn't want to give away any of your secrets or anything. He just told me things were going well for you."

"Yeah, actually. Things are amazing. I've been working for Rosaline Spencer for the past three years and I actually have a meeting in a couple of months to present my portfolio. If she likes what she sees, I could get my own line."

"Wow, Kurt! That's awesome! Everything you dreamed about is coming true for you."

"Well, not exactly everything is turning out how I imagined they would Blaine."

Blaine shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He figured now was as good a time as ever. Kurt had said he wanted closure and even if Kurt never spoke to him again, Blaine owed it to him to tell the truth.

"Kurt, when you texted me last night asking me to meet you here I figured it was because you wanted to talk about…well…"

Kurt sighed. "Look, yes I thought there were some questions I needed answers to but honestly, I think they might be too painful to hear. Maybe we should just let this be our last memory and move on."

"While that's a nice thought I really need to tell you the truth…while I have the nerve to do it. You need to know that Sebastian never meant anything to me. Never."

"No, Blaine stop. I don't want to know the details. I thought maybe I did but I really don't want to know the where, when, why or how of the situation. It hurts too much."

"I never cheated on you Kurt. I never slept with Sebastian. I never touched Sebastian. The last time I saw him was at the Sectionals competition my senior year of high school. He shook my hand after we beat them and that's the last time I've seen him. I swear." Blaine was talking fast…he had to get it all out before Kurt stopped him.

Kurt eyed him carefully. "You're lying."

"Kurt, look me in the eyes." Kurt did. Those honey eyes of his always held Blaine's emotions. The truth was always visible behind those eyes. He quickly remembered the day Blaine told him he'd cheated on him. Kurt felt like he was lying back then. Blaine couldn't look him in the eyes that day. Kurt knew in that moment that Blaine was not lying right now.

"Kurt, I'm not lying now. I lied back then. And I'm sorry I did that to you."

"Why Blaine? Why would you tell me you cheated on me? Why would you break my heart like that? I loved you! I would have given anything for you! I would have given everything up for you!!" Kurt found himself raising his voice.

"That's why Kurt! That's why. You would have given everything up for me. I just felt so overwhelmed back then. I didn't miss the NYADA application deadline. I found out that I was not a finalist. My father was on my back, saying that it should be a sign that performing was not my future. Cooper, he was talented enough for that, I was not."

"Why didn't you talk to me about it? I was your boyfriend Blaine! I was the one you should have come to. I was the one who should have comforted you. NYADA is not the only performing school in New York. We could have figured something out. Why did you shut me out?" Now Kurt's raised voice was drawing attention.

"Kurt, there was a part of me that felt like we were growing apart. We weren't able to visit each other as often as we'd like and we couldn't even Skype like we wanted to because of our schedules. When we did talk I always felt like I was holding you back. I could hear Rachel and your friends asking you to come out with them. You even told me yourself that you stayed in most of the time because you wanted me to trust you…"

"Blaine! I didn't say that to hurt you. Yes, I didn't go out and party with Rachel and our friends but I remember what happened when I met that guy at the music store before I moved. I knew how hurt you were and I didn't want to put you through that again. I didn't want you to worry that I was out getting numbers from guys. I didn't want you to think I was cheating on you. The ironic part is that you lied to me and told me you cheated on me!"

"I didn't want to hold you back Kurt. I didn't. I wanted you to feel free to go out and love New York. You had been dreaming of moving there before you ever met me. New York was your first love. I wanted you to have your love affair with New York and I knew you never would as long as I was keeping you from that."

"I wanted US to have a love affair with New York together, Blaine. New York was not my first love. You were. I wanted to experience all of that with you. We had so many firsts together. I wanted discovering New York to be another one of them. I wasn't sacrificing anything for you. I was waiting for you." Kurt now had a softness in his voice.

"When I didn't get into NYADA I didn't know what to do. I had my father in my ear constantly. Sometimes when you have somebody talking bad about yourself for so long, you start to believe it. My father got into my head. He made me feel like I would never amount to anything. I felt like I would be an anchor to you – only bringing you down. I couldn't do that…not to you. I knew you would be a shining star in some capacity and I didn't want diminish that in any way."

Blaine had tears in his eyes. Kurt had already let a few tears slide down his cheek, which Blaine reached over and wiped away with the pad of his thumb. Kurt pulled back. "That doesn't explain why you said you cheated on me." The anger had returned to his voice.

"I don't know why I said that. I wanted to let you down easy…tell you everything I just told you. But you weren't listening to me. You just kept saying that you didn't believe me and that you weren't accepting what I was saying. Saying I cheated with Sebastian just slipped out. It was out of my mouth and you were out the door before my brain had a chance to catch up."

"I can't believe you lied to me back then. I once told you I was never saying goodbye to you. I guess that makes us both liars." Kurt sighed. "Goodbye Blaine."

With that, Kurt got up and walked out of The Lima Bean, never once looking back at Blaine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blaine's truth is out there. What will Kurt do with it? See y'all next Sunday!! :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, here's chapter 6. The aftermath of Blaine's confession. Thank you to those that have left me reviews/kudos so far!
> 
> Warning: Smut! I've never written smut before so I hope it's ok. 
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing. Although I wish I did...

Kurt walked to the car without ever once looking back. He was so angry! The moment he locked eyes with Blaine he felt his anger disappearing. Sure he wanted closure but not in the way Rachel had suggested he needed it. He wanted it in the form of having his last memory of Blaine be a pleasant one. Blaine was his first love and despite how it ended (or how he thought it ended), he didn't regret spending his last two years of high school loving him. When he was old and grey he wanted to be able to look back with fond memories of Blaine – which meant not having their final moment consisting of a shocking confession and a storm out. He wanted this meeting for coffee to be their final pleasant memory together. Now Blaine had to go and screw it all up again.

"Fuck!" Kurt yelled into the silence of his car. He started the engine and drove home. He needed to talk to someone…but not his dad. Rachel…he needed to talk to Rachel.

He was thankful no one was home when he got back. His dad and Finn were at the shop and Carole had been called in to work. He dialed Rachel's number before he even set the car keys down. "Please pick up Rachel…"

"Kurt? Hey, what's going on? How's everything going with your dad's…"

"Rachel! Shut up! He lied! Can you believe that, Rachel? He lied to me!"

"Whoa, slow down Kurt. Are you talking about Blaine? I didn't think you had any plans to talk to him while you were home."

"I didn't until I answered my dad's phone and he was on the other end. You were right Rachel. As soon as I heard his voice I knew I needed closure."

"So you asked him questions about Sebastian?" Rachel had suggested that he do that but now hearing the sound of Kurt's voice, she wasn't so sure that was a good idea.

"No, I just thought it would be nice to have one final pleasant memory of him. You know, erase the previous final memory. So I asked him to meet me for coffee. When I saw him at The Lima Bean, I realized the time and space between us melted my anger so I just wanted a nice, simple conversation to catch up and then say goodbye and that be it. I thought that maybe if it went well in a few more years we could try to be friends. I don't know what I was thinking. I felt like I missed him."

"So you were having a nice conversation and HE decided to bring up Sebastian? Damn, that guy is an ass! Wow, Kurt, I'm sorry."

"Yeah, he brought up Sebastian to tell me he never cheated on me with him! He never cheated…he made the whole thing up!"

"Why would he do that? He loved you! Are you sure he wasn't lying to you?"

"Rachel, seven years might have gone by but as soon as I locked eyes with him I realized I hadn't forgotten a thing about him. I know he wasn't lying this time. I know it. Not a single ounce in me thinks he was lying to me this time."

"So what did you say?"

"I got mad and stormed out."

"History repeating itself huh?"

"What was I supposed to say? Tell him everything is ok and throw my arms around him?" Kurt didn't think Rachel would throw his past back in his face.

"No, Kurt. How about ask him why he told you he cheated on you when he didn't?"

"Oh, he explained all that to me. Something about not getting into NYADA, his dad telling him he was a failure and he didn't want to bring me down or hold me back. A bunch of bullshit really."

"So instead of telling you that he said he cheated on you? What sense does that make? I don't understand Kurt. Did you know he didn't get into NYADA?"

"No, he never mentioned a thing about it. I asked him a couple of times about his audition piece and he just told me he had everything under control. And apparently he tried to tell me that fateful morning about holding me back or something but I wasn't hearing him so the whole 'I cheated with Sebastian' just slipped out of his mouth before he could stop himself and I stormed out before he could take it back. That's what he says anyway…"

"But you believe him?"

"Yes. As angry as it makes me, Rachel, yes."

"What are you gonna do now?"

"What do you mean? I told you I stormed out. I think that speaks for itself."

"You also told me you felt like you missed him."

Kurt didn't have a response to that.

"What did your dad say?" Rachel asked when Kurt said nothing.

"I haven't told him about it. He doesn't even know I went to see him."

"Maybe you should tell him. Look, Kurt, you know I love you. I just want to see you happy."

"I love you too Rachel. I'll call you later."

* * *

Kurt sat in the kitchen, cup of coffee in hand, thinking about what Rachel said. Maybe he should talk to his dad about all of this. He seemed to like Blaine well enough these days. He might be able to give him some good advice. Although, telling him could result in Burt being just as angry as Kurt was and Kurt didn't want to do anything that might jeopardize the case. No regardless, he had to talk to his dad. It was the right thing to do. The truth needed to be out to everyone.

As soon as his dad came home from the shop he sat down and told him everything. He was grateful that Carole was still at work and that Finn had stayed behind at the shop to finish working on a car. He needed the privacy of just his dad.

Burt was just as shocked and had the same questions Rachel did. In the end, Burt offered him a piece of advice that stuck with him:

"Kurt? I think he did what he did because he loved you too much. As messed up as that sounds, if he really felt like he was going to bring you down and if his father really was saying that he was a failure, he might have felt like he no choice but to let you go. You've got to take your 26 year old self out of this and think about how things would have felt as an 18 year old kid."

Burt has a point. And he was quick to point out that Blaine seemed like a good man now. Who we are at 18 is not the same person we are at 26 and Blaine had wanted to make things right by telling him the truth.

"Does that mean I'm just supposed to forgive him? Ignore the fact that he broke my heart when he told me he cheated on me and then ignore that he broke it again when he told me he was only lying when he'd told me that?"

"Kurt, you have to answer that question yourself. You said you missed him though and wasn't there a small part of you that felt relief when he admitted that he'd never cheated on you?"

"I do miss him dad and that's what's so scary. But do I miss the 18 year old Blaine or the 25 year old Blaine?"

"You don't even know the 25 year old Blaine, Kurt. I think you miss the Blaine you wanted him to be but he never was. Whatever the case is, you're going back to New York in a few days. You might want to get some answers before then. That portfolio isn't going to draw itself and I don't think that all of these distractions are helping."

* * *

Kurt was sitting up in his room thinking things over. His dad was right. He needed to figure this whole thing out. His meeting with Rosaline Spencer was in seven weeks and he had to make sure things were perfect and if he had this Blaine thing hanging over his head he would never get past his designers block.

The next thing he knew he had texted Blaine, asking if he could meet him somewhere because like it or not, they had unfinished business. Blaine had given him the address to his apartment and Kurt found himself knocking on the front door 30 minutes later.

Kurt was fully prepared to have a rational conversation with Blaine about what happened, seven years ago in New York and several hours ago this morning. What he was not prepared for was how Blaine looked when he answered the door. He had apparently just gotten out of the shower, as evidenced by the water droplets falling from his loose curls and running down his chest that his tank top had left exposed.

"I apologize for my appearance. I thought it would take you a little longer to get here." 

"Shut up Blaine." And with that, Kurt walked in, closed the door behind him, spun Blaine around and pinned him up against the door before kissing him fiercely.

Blaine couldn't believe that his lips were on Kurt's. He at least had enough rational thought in him to know it was best to let Kurt take control. When Kurt licked Blaine's bottom lip, asking for permission, Blaine granted Kurt's tongue access. They kissed heatedly before Kurt pulled away, kissing Blaine's jaw line up to his ear and licking the shell of his ear.

"Ugh, fuck Kurt, that feels amazing." Kurt returned his lips to Blaine's, with more urgency and lust than ever. He tugged at the hem of Blaine's tank top and they broke away long enough for Kurt to tug the shirt off Blaine's still damp body. When Blaine began working on the buttons of Kurt's shirt, Kurt hesitated for a moment but when he felt his own erection pressing into Blaine's hip, craving friction, he allowed Blaine to remove his shirt.

Kurt once again moved his lips to Blaine's ear, growling "I want to fuck you. Now."

"Yes, Kurt. God yes. I need to feel you inside me."

Shirts abandoned in the entryway, they made their way to Blaine's bedroom, never pulling their lips apart. Upon entering Blaine's bedroom, Kurt pushed him down on the bed and began pressing kisses to his chest spending some extra time on each of his nipples. Blaine's hips bucked up instinctively, desperately looking for friction. Kurt reached the hem of Blaine's pants, unbuttoning them, allowing Blaine to raise his hips so they could be tugged down. Kurt instantly saw the wet spot of pre-come on Blaine's boxers and unable to control himself, he mouthed Blaine's cock through the thin piece of fabric.

Blaine threw his head back, his eyes rolling back in his head. "Oh my God Kurt, more! More please!"

Kurt pulled Blaine's boxers completely off and licked the underside of Blaine's cock before taking all of him in his mouth. Oh Kurt remembered this body. He remembered how good the weight of Blaine felt in his mouth. He remembered the sweet taste of Blaine's pre-come. Kurt moved up and down Blaine's cock with his mouth with a steady rhythm.

"Ugh, Kurt…you've …oh God…you've got to stop…I'm gonna…" Kurt pulled off and kissed Blaine desperately pulling him up to a standing position. Kurt's pants were impossibly tight and while kissing, Blaine reached down and unbuckled Kurt's pants. Kurt peeled them off while Blaine pushed his underwear down right behind. Blaine stared for a moment. "God Kurt, you're beautiful." Blaine gave Kurt a slight push, Kurt falling on the bed while Blaine returned the favor, licking and sucking on Kurt's cock.

"Fuck Blaine, you feel so good."

"Mmmm, you taste so good Kurt."

Then without warning, Kurt jumped up and flipped Blaine over so Kurt was on top, one leg on either side of Blaine's thighs.

"Lube…condoms…where?"

Breathlessly Blaine responded "bedside table".

Kurt reached over and opened the drawer, retrieving the lube and a condom. He began sucking Blaine's cock again while smearing lube on his fingers. Blaine reached up and grabbed a pillow, placing it under his hips, raising them to give Kurt access. Kurt reached down and rubbed one finger over Blaine'sentrance. Blaine winced a little when Kurt pushed his finger in but quickly relaxed, enjoying the pure pleasure.

"More, Kurt. Please." Blaine begged. Kurt inserted another finger, beginning to scissor him open. After teasing him for a moment, Kurt hooked his fingers, looking for that sweet bundle of nerves.

"OH! YES! RIGHT THERE KURT!" Kurt hummed around Blaine's cock, pleased that he'd remembered exactly how to hit Blaine's prostrate.

After stretching Blaine open, Kurt reached down, rolled the condom on and smeared lube on his ignored and highly sensitive cock and pressed the tip to Blaine's entrance. He glanced up at Blaine, looking into his lust-blown eyes and slowly pushed in. He allowed Blaine time to adjust before he began to slowly move, pulling almost completely out before pushing back in again.

"God Blaine, you're so tight."

"Urgh, Kurt, don't stop. You feel so good, don't stop." Kurt began thrusting at a steady pace, Blaine meeting each of his thrusts by bucking his hips in time with Kurt.

"Fuck Kurt! Fuck, fuck, fuck! Oh my God!" Kurt was hitting his prostrate with each thrust. Blaine knew he wouldn't last long. It had been too long since he'd been with anyone and there was nothing like being with Kurt again.

Kurt leaned over, still thrusting, laying chest to chest, and burying his face in Blaine's neck. "Fuck Blaine. Damn!" Kurt reached down and began stroking Blaine's cock in time with his thrusts.

"Shit! I'm not going to last Kurt."

"Go ahead and let go Blaine" Kurt whispered in Blaine's ear. And that's it took to push Blaine over the edge. Shouting Kurt's name while Kurt stroked Blaine through his orgasm.

Blaine's muscles tightened around Kurt and Kurt followed in orgasm right after, shouting nonsensical curse words while riding the high.

They were both breathing heavy as they came down, tangled in each other's limbs. Blaine whined when Kurt pulled out, instantly missing the fullness of Kurt inside of him. Kurt's head was on Blaine's chest and Blaine was running his fingers through his hair. Despite it being the middle of the afternoon, it wasn't long before sleep overtook them.

* * *

Blaine woke a few hours later, feeling sore but also refreshed after one of the best naps of his life. He immediately remembered making love to Kurt and rolled over to pull him into an embrace. However, the space that was once occupied by Kurt was now empty. Blaine sat up and looked around. He was alone in his bedroom. Just as Blaine thought Kurt had run out on him, he heard what sounded like sniffling coming from his living room. He got up and threw on his boxers before slowly walking into his living room. He found Kurt, crying on his sofa.

"Kurt? Baby, why are you crying? What's wrong?"

"Why Blaine? Why did you do this to us? Why did you break us?"

Blaine sat down next to Kurt and put his head in his hands. Softly he answered, "I don't know Kurt. I thought I was doing the right thing. I realize now how wrong I was. I wish more than anything that I could take it back. Baby, I'm so, so sorry."

Kurt jumped up, anger overtaking his face. "No! Don't call me Baby and don't say you're sorry! You're right, YOU broke us and then you show up and decide to try and be my father's savior…"

"I show up trying to be your father's savior?! Kurt, your dad hired me. He sought ME out, not the other way around. I was not trying to disrupt your life in any way…"

"Then you let me fuck you Blaine! You know how angry I am at you for lying to me. For ripping out my heart and stomping all over it."

Blaine couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I let you fuck me? Kurt, you called me, came to my house and kissed me! You told me you wanted to fuck me and yes, I let you but God Kurt, I've missed you. I've missed you so much. I never realized how much I missed you until my father told me about Burt needing a lawyer. And then when I met with Burt and he told me about all of the success you were finding in New York…God Kurt. My heart swelled with pride. And then, you answered Burt's phone and I heard that angelic voice of yours and I knew. I knew then that I still love you. I've never stopped loving you. I love you, Kurt."

Kurt had tears in his eyes but refused to let them fall. His emotions were all over the place. He was still angry but also feeling his heart strings being pulled by Blaine's words. He wanted to choose his words carefully. "I waited for months for you to come back and tell me it was all a lie. When Artie, Tina and Sam told me that they'd never seen you with Sebastian I desperately hoped that I was having this nightmare and I'd wake up and you'd be in my arms. But you didn't come back and I realized that I was living that nightmare. You say you never stopped loving me? Well, if that was true you would have fought for our love. You would have ignored me telling you leave me alone and you would have fought. Our love could have survived if you'd have only fought for it. But you didn't. And now you stand here and tell me you love me? Please Blaine. You don't get to tell me you love me. And you don't get to continue to apologize and look for absolution from me that I will never be able to give you." Kurt sighed. "I've got to go. I can't do this with you."

"Kurt please. Let's talk about this."

"We just did, Blaine. You just didn't like what I had to say." Kurt pulled the rest of his clothes on in haste and quickly left, slamming the door behind him.

Blaine stared at the door for what felt like an eternity, hoping against hope that it would reopen and Kurt would rush back in and say that he loved him too and they would work through this. But it never did and Kurt would never rush back in. Eventually Blaine collapsed on the floor and let the tears overtake him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, there you go. This story is going to take some interesting twists and turns. Sorry for the angst but... :)
> 
> See y'all next Sunday!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the kudos I'm receiving. Brings a smile to my face.  
> Mistakes are all mine.   
> Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Blaine wasn't sure how long he'd been asleep. He was slightly confused when he woke up and found himself on the living room floor. The sun was just beginning to set so he knew it was late afternoon or early evening – no later than 6pm. When he felt the stiffness in his cheeks from the dried tear tracks, his memory rushed back in like a dam breaking. He and Kurt had made love. Sweet glorious love. But Kurt didn't view it as love making. He had seen it as simply fucking, nothing more. That broke Blaine's heart. Yes, during the course of their relationship they had fucked many times but there was always love attached. Always. Not anymore according to Kurt. Then Blaine remembered their fight and Kurt storming out.

Blaine's ringing cell phone pulled him out of his head. He really didn't want to talk to anyone. He wanted to crawl up in his bed and pull the covers over his head and stay there forever. But he knew he had to answer it. What if it was about Burt's case? What if it was Kurt? He practically lunged himself to the counter where his cell phone sat ringing. Nope, not Kurt. Trevor's name appeared on the caller ID.

"Hey Trevor. What's up?"

"Hey Blaine. Listen, I'm babysitting Carly this afternoon and you know she just adores you. How would you like to meet us at the Lima Bean for some coffee?"

"Trevor, you're bringing your three year old niece for coffee?" Blaine chuckled at this despite his mood.

"No, Blaine. I'm bringing myself for coffee and hopefully you. I'll get Carly a muffin or cookie and some milk. Come on Blaine. We haven't had a chance to catch up for a bit."

Blaine didn't take much time to decide. He really was grateful that he and Trevor had remained friends and he adored Carly just as much as Carly seemed to adore him. In fact, she was the catalyst to their discussion of starting a family. He didn't see it as anything negative though. He really believed that he and Trevor were best off as friends and Trevor agreed. Besides, how could he truly love anyone else when he never stopped loving Kurt? "Sure, I'll meet you guys there. Give me 20 minutes."

Blaine pulled up to the Lima Bean right at 6:30pm and saw that Trevor's car was already vacant in the parking lot. He was actually feeling better. Not necessarily about Kurt but he knew that staying holed up in his house was not a solution. And maybe he could pick Trevor's brain. Kurt said that if he had truly loved him then he would have fought for him. He didn't do that seven years ago but he was going to now. Just how he was going to go about doing that was the million dollar question.

Blaine had barely entered the coffee shop when a little girl had grabbed a hold of his leg joyfully screaming with excitement. Blaine bent down and picked her up into his arms. "Hello Carly! It is so good to see you! Quick, I need hugs!" Carly wrapped her little arms around his neck and squeezed as hard as a three year old could. "Uncle Blaine! Yay! You're finally here!" Although Blaine was not technically her uncle and he had split with Trevor several months ago, his heart filled hearing Carly refer to him as her uncle.

Blaine looked up and saw Trevor sitting at a table near the back of the Lima Bean, two cups of coffee sitting on the table as well as a glass of milk and three chocolate chip cookies, one of which was half eaten. As Blaine approached the table Trevor spoke up. "I went ahead and ordered for you. I assume that you still drink a medium drip. Oh, and sorry for the corner table. I didn't want the other customers annoyed with Carly's excitement. I knew she'd be a little loud when you showed up."

Blaine adjusted Carly from his hip to his lap as he sat down. "Yes, still same coffee order. Thanks." They sat listening to Carly go on and on about her pre-school, telling Blaine all about her friends. The entire time she sat nestled in Blaine's lap, even asking Trevor to hand her cookies to her as her little arms could not reach the other side of the table. Eventually one of the baristas came over and offered Carly a coloring book and some crayons and her attention was diverted enough to sit in her own seat and color for a bit. Allowing Blaine and Trevor a chance to talk.

"So Trevor…" Blaine began. "What's going on with you?" Blaine was anxious to get his opinion on the Kurt situation before but now, sitting in front of Trevor, he was having reservations. Was it wise to discuss the love of your life with your ex-boyfriend? Sure, he and Trevor ended their relationship on great terms and they were friends. But Blaine was so grateful for his friendship with Trevor that he didn't want to do anything to jeopardize that.

Trevor was a mortgage broker. He and Blaine had met four years ago when Blaine was looking to buy a house. Blaine was still in law school at the time and really wasn't in the best position to buy a house but it was something that his father thought would make him look more mature. Mitchell Anderson was all about "keeping up with the Joneses" so he didn't want the community to think that his son was anything less so Blaine being a homeowner was a goal of his. It was not one of Blaine's goals at the time so he did not end up using Trevor to secure a mortgage. However, after a few months Trevor asked Blaine on a date. Blaine secretly reveled in his father's frustration that the man that was supposed to help Blaine buy a house had become his boyfriend. He and Trevor had shared many laughs over that. It was a little upsetting to Trevor at first when Mr. Anderson went from being so friendly to looking at him like he was something vile. "He obviously didn't know I was gay when he introduced us" Trevor used to say.

Trevor was going on about the economy causing quite a slow down on home purchases when he looked over and saw the blank expression on Blaine's face. "So after that, a big, green alien came into my office and asked about buying a townhouse for his alien babies."

"Oh, that's great Trevor."

"Blaine! I just told you that an alien wanted to buy a house. You are here in body but clearly not in mind. What the hell has you so distracted?"

"You're right. I'm sorry Trevor. It's just that…well…I guess I should start at the beginning." Blaine began to tell Trevor the entire story beginning with Burt hiring him and ending with Kurt's visit earlier that afternoon. He even included the real reason Kurt was mad at him. Blaine had told Trevor that he and Kurt had simply grown apart during Kurt's first year in New York. He never mentioned that he had lied to Kurt about sleeping with another man. They were interrupted several times by Carly's need for attention. Blaine was exhausted emotionally by the time he finished his story.

Trevor had never commented, just listened while Blaine spoke. Now that it was his turn to speak, he found himself speechless. He fumbled for a bit before Blaine broke the silence. "Oh God Trevor! I can only imagine what you must think of me. Yes, we're friends now but you're also my ex-boyfriend. I should never have unburdened myself on you. I am so grateful for our friendship and do not want to harm it in any way. I'm sorry, please forget I said anything."

"Blaine listen. Yes, we are ex-boyfriends but we are also friends. And I happen to think we work much better as friends so I am absolutely the person you should unburden yourself on. I am just a little shocked with you lying to Kurt. You're not a liar Blaine. But let's not dwell on that." Trevor saw Blaine's face fall and wanted to focus on the future, not the past. "I can tell that seeing him again has made you realize how deep your feelings for him really are."

"I still love him Trevor. I don't want to hurt you but I don't think I ever stopped loving him."

"You're gonna fight for him right?"

"I want to Trevor, I really do but…"

"But nothing Blaine. Kurt told you he wished you had fought for him back then right?" Blaine nodded. "Well then you need to fight for him now. Despite your hesitation I think Kurt told you that because subconsciously he wants you to fight for him now. His pride just won't allow him to admit that to you."

Blaine sighed. "Maybe you're right Trevor. This has been so hard for me. I never thought I'd ever see him again. Let alone have a glimmer of hope, even if it is the tiniest glimmer of hope ever! And thank you. Thank you for pointing out that our friendship is strong – and you're right. We are better off as friends."

Trevor reached across the table and grabbed Blaine's hands in his and said, "Blaine, we will always be friends. And if you need my help in any way don't hesitate to ask me. Ever."

Blaine and Trevor were too caught up in their own conversation that they did not see Kurt enter the Lima Bean. But something pulled Kurt's eyes to the tiny table in the back corner. He was shocked beyond belief when he saw Blaine holding hands with another man. Just then a little girl, snuggled up in Blaine's lap and grabbed his face with her tiny hands and planted a kiss square on his lips. Blaine laughed and kissed the little girl back on her forehead. At that point she obviously said something funny because the little group of three began laughing hysterically.

Kurt knew he should turn around and walk away. His day had already been crazy to say the least. Fucking Blaine had not been on his list of things to do today and after all was said and done he had walked out of his house determined to never lay eyes on him ever again. Apparently fate had other plans. Even though everything in Kurt screamed for him to walk out of the Lima Bean, his feet managed to drag him over to the table currently occupied by Blaine and another man and little girl that Blaine was clearly very comfortable with. Really though, was it any of Kurt's business who this man was? Kurt and Blaine had not been a couple for seven years. Blaine was free to date whoever he wanted. But Blaine had let Kurt fuck him just a few hours ago. Why would he do that if he had a boyfriend? Was Blaine really a cheater after all? No, that can't be true. Despite everything that Kurt and Blaine had gone through and all of the confusion there was not a single doubt in Kurt's mind that Blaine was not a cheater. Not now and not seven years ago. So who was this mystery man with the little girl?

Before he knew it, Kurt was standing next to Blaine's table. Before Blaine could notice Kurt's presence, Carly spoke up. "You're pretty" was all she said but was obviously enough for Blaine and Trevor to take notice of Kurt standing there. Having never met Kurt before Trevor began to apologize to the stranger for Carly's outspokenness. However before he could get the words out of his mouth, Blaine spoke up. "Kurt! Uh, what are you doing here?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing Blaine. Interesting that you seem to be enjoying a coffee date with your boyfriend and his daughter even though you let me fuck you hard into your mattress just a few hours ago." Kurt knew that was petty and low but it came out of his mouth before he could stop himself. And even though deep down Kurt knew Blaine was not a cheater he reasoned in his own head that on the off chance this was Blaine's boyfriend he deserved to know the truth before Blaine managed to shatter another heart.

Blaine was a little shell shocked for the moment so Trevor decided to speak. "You're obviously Kurt. My name is Trevor. I am not Blaine's boyfriend and this is not my daughter. This is my niece Carly. Blaine and I are friends." Trevor's tone was a little short. "I would appreciate you not using such foul language in front of my niece. She is only three years old and tends to repeat things."

Kurt blushed at his own behavior. "You are right. I apologize. I just saw you holding hands when I walked in and jumped to conclusions and assumed that you were gay. Again, I'm sorry."

"Oh I am gay" Trevor responded. "I'm just not Blaine's boyfriend." Trevor decided not to mention that he was Blaine's ex-boyfriend. He would leave that conversation to Blaine. "Anyway, I've got to get Carly home. Blaine, thanks for meeting us for coffee. Call me later, yeah?" Blaine nodded. "Kurt, you can take my seat. You and Blaine seem to have some things to discuss. Carly, say bye to Blaine." Carly's face scrunched up at the thought of saying goodbye to Blaine. She scrambled into his lap once more and snuggled her head under his chin. At that moment Kurt had a quick flash of Blaine as a father. He had no idea of the extent of his relationship with this little girl but clearly she loved him and Blaine obviously returned those feelings.

"Blainey Bear I don't want to say goodbye!" Carly's cute nickname for Blaine pulled Kurt from his thoughts. "Me either sweetie but how about this? How about I call your Uncle Trevor tomorrow and see if it would be ok for me to take you to lunch? Just you and me?" Blaine was pretending to whisper in Carly's ear but was speaking loud enough for Trevor to hear so he could secure permission from her parents tonight. Carly began bouncing in Blaine's lap with excitement. "Oh yes Blainey Bear! I would love that!" Kurt's heart swelled at this adorable interaction between this little girl and Blaine. Yes, Blaine would make an excellent father one day.

Trevor said a polite goodbye to Kurt and then left with Carly trailing behind him. Kurt stood there awkwardly for a moment before Blaine asked him to join him. Kurt realized that he had never bought his coffee and excused himself telling Blaine he'd be right back. Although not long ago Kurt had not wanted to see Blaine ever again, his heart was telling him to just have this one cup of coffee with him. Besides, Kurt always seemed to be storming out. Wasn't it better to end things on a good note rather than him storming out of Blaine's house?

While Kurt was ordering his coffee Blaine decided it would be best to be honest with Kurt. To tell him who Trevor was and what they had been discussing. Blaine had been honest with Kurt since his return to Lima a few days ago. He was not turning back now.

* * *

Kurt returned to the seat across from Blaine a few moments later. You could cut the tension in the air with a knife. Kurt had no idea what to say. The only reason he was even sitting at this table was because he saw Blaine holding hands with this mystery man Trevor. Kurt decided to start there. "So, your friend Trevor. He seems nice. Carly seems adorable and she is really quite smitten with you."

Blaine decided to be honest with Kurt about the extent of his relationship with Trevor and why Carly loved him so much. "Listen Kurt, your visit back to Lima has seemed to turn into the honesty tour for me so I'm going to continue on that path." Kurt simply stared at Blaine so he took that as his cue to continue. "Trevor is actually my ex-boyfriend." There was a small shift in Kurt's eyes but he still said nothing. "What Trevor said was true though. We are just friends. And I mean that. There is absolutely zero romantic interest between us anymore. On either side, not from me and not from him."

Kurt processed this for a moment and then asked "So how long have you been broken up?"

"Uh about six months." Blaine responded.

"So how long were you together then?"

Blaine knew this would be a little more difficult to take. In reality he and Trevor had been together for three years while he and Kurt had only been together for a year and a half. But honesty right? "We were together for three years."

"Wow, three years huh? That's twice as long as you and I were together." Kurt was a little shocked. Here Blaine was, confessing he still loved him mere hours ago while they have been apart for seven years. _Seven years!_ Yet he is just six months out of a three year relationship with someone else.

"Kurt, I know what you're thinking. But my relationship with Trevor was mainly out of convenience. Yes, we were attracted to each other when we first met, and yes, the first year or so was really good but then things began to shift in our relationship. I think we were mainly staying together because neither one of us wanted to be alone. Our relationship began to feel more like a friendship than anything else. Then Carly came along. Kurt, you can see how adorable she is. She's Trevor's sister Anna's daughter."

Kurt found himself wondering what Carly had to do with this. Yes, she was absolutely adorable. In fact, she was one of the most adorable little girls that Kurt had ever seen. He hoped that one day if he ever had a daughter that she would be just as cute. Although he always pictured a little girl with Blaine's curls. Blaine's curls? No! He could not be thinking about that. _Focus Kurt_ he told himself.

Blaine continued speaking despite the unfamiliar look on Kurt's face. "Trevor obviously fell in love with his niece immediately. I did too. She is the cutest kid and she was always so well behaved as a baby too. Trevor and I used to babysit a lot for Carly. Naturally, one thing lead to another and the discussion of family came up. We quickly realized that we could not picture starting a family together even though we both wanted one. One night we took a long hard look at our relationship and decided that we should part. And so we did. Because our breakup was so amicable we have been able to remain friends. I am so grateful for our friendship so I am not going to apologize for it."

Kurt was silent for a moment. "Blaine I'm not going to ask you to apologize for your friends. You're entitled to be friends with whomever you wish but how could you stand there earlier today and tell me you still love me when you haven't even seen me in seven years? Your ex-boyfriend, who, I assume, you see quite often is someone you were with for three years. Three years Blaine! And you're only six months removed from that. Were weren't even together for two years and we are seven years removed. Seven years."

"It's not hard for me to hear my heart Kurt. It might be heard to listen to it but it's not hard to hear it. It was always telling me that what I did was wrong but my head, and my father, was telling me that I was doing what was best for you. Again, it was hard to listen to my heart. But when I tell you that I never stopped loving you I mean it. My discussion with Trevor was very eye-opening for me. I always found myself picturing little girls with your bright blue eyes…"

"I'd want her to have your beautiful curls." The words were out of Kurt's mouth before he could take them back.

Blaine stared at Kurt for a moment before very carefully saying "You've thought about us having a child together?"

Kurt cleared his throat. "I used to. I haven't had that dream for a very long time, Blaine."

They were both quiet for a while. Finally Blaine broke the silence. "Look Kurt. I know you don't trust me. I get it that it's hard for you to believe me when I say I still love you. I think deep down I knew it would never work with Trevor and I because of my never ending love for you. I was settling for Trevor and I think he was settling for me. That great epic love was never there for us. You and I had that epic love and I want to get that back. We're not broken, Kurt. Simply bent".

"That's where you're wrong Blaine. We are broken. You did that to us when you lied to me about something so huge. I still have a hard time processing that you never cheated on me. The funny thing is, I should be happy about the fact that you're not a cheater but that doesn't erase the past seven years of me thinking you were someone that was vile. Someone that was this horrible person. Do you realize what that did to me? You left me thinking that I was someone not worthy of love, someone that was not sexy, or attractive, someone that was destined to be alone forever because I'm so unlovable. Because you'd rather be with someone else. You crushed my self esteem, Blaine. Crushed it."

"Kurt, I'm so sorry that I ever made you feel that way. You are so lovable. You are funny and smart and witty and clever and beautiful and, God Kurt, you are so sexy. So unbelievably sexy. I don't want you to ever again think that you are unlovable. I do love you. I always have. I just wish I could take everything back and it breaks my heart that I can't and that you don't believe me."

Kurt stood up. "Look, I can't do this with you anymore. I've got to go. I've got to be away from you. I'm heading back to New York. Good luck with my dad's case. I really hope you win it for him and then we can cut the Hummel/Anderson ties for good."

Blaine stood up quickly. "I know you still have feelings for me Kurt. I feel it in my bones and I felt it this afternoon while we were together. I'm not giving up. You told me you wished I had fought for you, for us, back then. Well I'm fighting now. And I think deep down you want me to."

Kurt turned back to face him. "Don't." With that single word, he walked out door.

* * *

Kurt drove back to his father's house in silence, without even the radio to calm his thoughts. Was Blaine right? Did he really want Blaine fighting for him deep down? Kurt realized one thing though…his feelings for Blaine were starting to resurface. Somewhere there had been a shift and Kurt found himself not hating Blaine quite as much anymore. When did that shift occur? When Rachel told him Burt had hired Blaine? When Kurt first heard Blaine's voice on the telephone? When Kurt laid eyes on him for the first time in seven years? Or was it when Kurt felt Blaine's lips against his, when Kurt felt their bodies coming together? Maybe it had been when Blaine confessed he still loved him. The truth is, Kurt didn't know when that shift began but it had and it scared the shit out of him. He could not let Blaine back in. He still couldn't trust Blaine and trust was vital to any form of relationship, romantic or platonic. Huh, platonic. Did Kurt want a platonic relationship with Blaine? Could they be friends? No, Kurt realized. It would only lead to heartbreak. Despite all of the good times they shared before Kurt moved to New York, the majority of the time Kurt knew that Blaine existed had left Kurt heartbroken over Blaine. Kurt refused to let that happen. Besides, even though Blaine said he was going to fight for him it didn't matter. Kurt lived in New York and Blaine lived in Ohio. Nothing would ever work for them again. Game, set, match in Kurt's favor.

Kurt pulled into the driveway realizing that he'd been gone for most of the day. He knew his dad would ask where he'd been. He had no intention of telling him that he'd spent part of the afternoon having sex Blaine. Nope, not a detail that Burt needed to hear.

"What's up kiddo? Where have you been all day?" Burt was sitting in his recliner reading the paper.

"Hey dad. Um, actually I spent some time with Blaine."

"Really? So, how'd that go?" Burt wasn't sure what he hoped for. He knew Blaine had turned out to be a pretty decent young man. Re-sparking their relationship seemed unlikely with where they lived and all but maybe a friendship could be born. Truth was, Burt kind of missed having Blaine around despite all of the years that had passed. Knowing that Blaine had not cheated on Kurt made it easier. Sure, Blaine broke Kurt's heart and Burt hated that but there was a part of him that could understand what an immature 18 year old Blaine was thinking back then. He even understood it more once Burt had spoken with Blaine's father and got a sense of who he was. Burt felt bad that Blaine's father was so unsupportive despite all that Blaine had done to try to prove himself. Just because the kid was gay. Burt sighed internally.

"Uh, well it was hard, Dad. Hard. I know I should be happy that he never cheated on me but that trust is gone. I don't trust him. And I just can't have any kind of relationship, platonic or otherwise, with someone that I don't trust. Besides, what does it matter? I live in New York and he lives here so that's that. I'm glad he's helping you with this lawsuit, Dad. I really am but I need to cut myself off."

"Cut yourself off? What does that mean exactly Kurt?"

"Just what it sounds like Dad. Coming here for you was the right thing to do but I should never have met with Blaine. I was doing fine before this and I'll do fine once I get back to New York. Which, by the way, I've decided to head back in the morning."

"You think you've been doing fine Kurt? You haven't had a relationship that lasted more than a year since you and Blaine broke up. Look, it's not my place to tell you who to love but you can't continue to cut yourself off from loving someone. If you continue to live your life alone you'll end up alone. Not that this is any comparison but when I lost your mother I wanted to cut myself off from the world but if I'd done that I would never have met Carole and I am so grateful for her."

"You're right Dad. You losing mom is nothing like what happened between me and Blaine. Besides, I'm not going to crawl into a hole. I'm going back to New York and I'm going to finish my portfolio and meet with Ms. Spenser and achieve my dream of being a designer in one of the top fashion houses in the world."

Burt looked at his son and sighed. "I really hope you make it Kurt. I really hope that you're right. But I'm afraid that famous people wearing your clothes will not keep you warm at night. I just don't want you to wake up one day, finding yourself my age and realizing what a mistake you've made. I don't want you to have any regrets."

"Right now, my only regret is seeing Blaine again. Now if you'll excuse me I've got some packing to do. I'm going to call the airline and get a morning flight. I'm sorry I'm leaving a few days early but I miss Rachel and I'm gaining some inspiration so the sooner I get back to my apartment, the better."

Kurt hated lying to his father. Well, mostly lying. He did miss Rachel…including her crazy. But his designer's block had not gone away and he needed to get away from the same zip code as Blaine. He really did not want to admit it to himself but he did feel a pull towards Blaine. And he hated that. Kurt ran upstairs and called the airline to change his flight. He was not happy to hear that there were not any seats available on any flights to New York tomorrow. Ok, the day after tomorrow would work he supposed. What's one more day in Ohio?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kurt's behavior might be OOC for some. It's gonna be a bumpy ride because Kurt is going to do a few things that may seem off but I wouldn't write this if there weren't a happy ending after everything.
> 
> I might - might - have some extra time during the week to post another chapter. But in case I don't, see y'all next Sunday!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! I had a little bit of time on my hands so here's Chapter 8 for your reading pleasure! This chapter is a bit short but enjoy the early update!
> 
> All mistakes are mine.
> 
> I own nothing except this idea.

Blaine had returned to his house after Kurt left the Lima Bean. He was so exhausted but his brain was going one hundred miles an hour so attempting to sleep was not an option at the moment. Besides, he wanted to temporarily avoid his bedroom because his bed was still rumpled, serving as a painful and happy reminder of the afternoon he spent making love with Kurt. Despite Kurt's graphic account of it, it would always be making love to Blaine.

He grabbed a beer out of his fridge and sat down on the couch contemplating his next move. He was serious when he told Kurt he was going to fight for him. The question was how. Blaine knew Kurt was heading back to New York soon. Maybe sooner than Blaine realized. He needed to do something and he needed to do it fast. As he was thinking, Trevor called and said that his sister was totally fine with Blaine taking Carly out to lunch tomorrow and that Carly had asked about Kurt. It was then that the idea hit.

Blaine dialed Kurt's cell phone and prayed that he would pick up. Nope, voicemail. Fast thinking Blaine said "Hey Kurt, it's Blaine. I know you are probably ignoring my phone calls and I guess I can understand that but I just spoke with Trevor to confirm my lunch date with Carly tomorrow and he told me that Carly was quite smitten with you and she would love for you to join us. I can hear your hesitation but really, we'll have a three year old chaperone with us the entire time. Besides, it's just lunch. Please call me back and say you'll come with. I'd hate to disappoint Carly. Oh, and I love you. Bye." Blaine knew using a three year old little girl was a little low but he was willing to try anything at this point.

On the other side of town, Kurt listened to the voicemail from Blaine and let out a scream into his pillow. Ugh, he just wanted his life to return to normal. No, it wasn't perfect but he was happy before reconnecting with Blaine. Right? Kurt thought about Blaine's invitation. He had to admit that Carly was an awfully cute little girl and he really would hate to disappoint her. Besides, Blaine was right. It was just lunch. Lunch with a three year old chaperone which would hopefully keep the conversation from drifting into uncomfortable territory. Kurt picked up his phone and dialed Blaine back.

"Kurt, hey." Blaine was trying to hide the smirk from his voice.

"Blaine, I got your voicemail. I've got to say that it's pretty low of you to guilt trip me like this."

"So does that mean you'll join us tomorrow?"

"Well I would hate to disappoint Carly so when and where is this lunch happening?"

Blaine was practically dancing around his living room. "Trevor is going to drop her off at my place at 11 tomorrow morning. I think I'm going to take her to Chucky Cheese but she might feel like Showbiz Pizza. They have the better animal shows there. Why don't you just drop by my place in the morning and we'll decide once she gets here?"

"Chucky Cheese or Showbiz Pizza? Really Blaine?" Kurt could not believe that his lunch tomorrow was going to consist of being around humans dressed in animal costumes.

"Kurt, she's three years old. It's not like we could take her to Breadstix!" Blaine almost hated to admit how amusing he found this.

"Fine but can't I just meet you at whichever restaurant she chooses?" Kurt did not want to step foot inside Blaine's house again. He knew the memories that would come flooding back if he did. And he didn't need the reminder of how just earlier today he was inside Blaine.

"Well you could but Carly can be unpredictable at times. I've known her to change her mind after we've already gotten in the car. If you want, you could come over in the morning and I could cook you some breakfast." Blaine knew he was pushing his luck with that one but hey, he had to at least ask.

"No, Blaine. Lunch will be enough. I'll see you at 11."

"Fantastic. We'll see you tomorrow. I love you." Now that he'd said it to him, he didn't plan on ever stopping.

Kurt sighed. "Bye" was all he said before hanging up. What had he gotten himself into?

* * *

The morning arrived much sooner than Kurt had hoped. He knew what Blaine was doing. He knew he was using Carly to pull at his heart strings. He knew that Blaine knew he wouldn't be able to say no to a little girl. Kurt pulled into Blaine's driveway five minutes before 11. He wanted to be there before Trevor dropped Carly off but he didn't want to be there too early. The less alone time with Blaine at this point, the better. When Kurt rang Blaine's doorbell he was not prepared for what he saw on the other side of the door. Yes, the last time Blaine opened his door he was still wet from his shower. This time Blaine was fully dressed but mother of all things sweet and holy, Blaine was dressed to kill. Sure, it was a casual outfit but damn, he looked good. Delectable even.

Blaine internally grinned and gave himself a high five when he saw Kurt's reaction to his outfit. "Good morning Kurt."

Kurt managed to regain his senses. "Morning, I'm assuming Carly isn't here yet?" Kurt kept his feet cemented to the front porch.

"No, Trevor should be here to drop her off any moment. Seriously though, come inside. You can't just stay on the porch. Besides, once Carly gets here we'll need to give her options so she can choose where she wants to go. She's a very independent three year old and making choices is very important to her." Blaine knew exactly what Kurt was doing. He was afraid to come inside because he'd be reminded of what they shared the last time they were in this house.

Kurt stepped inside but was determined not to get too comfortable. Blaine offered him a cup of coffee and Kurt accepted just so he'd have something to do with his hands. Kurt knew what Blaine was doing. Sashaying around his kitchen in that fantastic pair of jeans that hugged his ass perfectly, swinging his hips as he walked. He was playing a well thought out game. Blaine made a point for their hands to graze one another's as he handed Kurt the cup of coffee. Neither one unable to deny the spark that was felt between them in that moment. There was a moment when they locked eyes. Kurt subconsciously licked his lips feeling an uncontrollable urge to lean in and taste Blaine's lips again. Blaine noticed. Then, the doorbell rang, breaking the moment. Blaine silently cursed Trevor for his horrible timing.

"Blainey Bear! Blainey Bear! Blainey Bear!" Carly was obviously excited as Blaine leaned down and scooped her up into his arms.

"Hey sweetie! I'm so happy we're having lunch today. Guess what? I've got two surprises for you! One, you get to pick where we're having lunch and two, look who's here to join us?"

Carly pulled her head out from under Blaine's neck and looked behind him. "Kurty! Yay! Are we all going to eat together?"

Kurt listened as Blaine told Carly that Trevor was not coming. She didn't seem too unhappy about that. Kurt found himself tuning out of the conversation as she and Blaine talked about where she wanted to eat. Carly called him Kurty. The unexpected nickname filled him with joy. He wasn't quite sure why but he found it cute and he actually liked that Carly felt comfortable enough to call him something other than his formal name.

Carly ultimately chose Showbiz Pizza for the animal shows. Kurt figured in the end that was probably the better option of the two. Otherwise, he'd spend his lunch listening to a bunch of tweens attempting to play skeeball. So, yes, watching a bunch of grown adults dressed in animal costumes singing and dancing was fine by him. Carly was one big ball of energy the entire time. She sang silly songs during the car ride and convinced Blaine to sing along. Kurt realized it had been years since he'd last heard Blaine sing. Yes, his voice really was dreamy and he didn't realize that he missed listening to him sing until he heard him again. Carly was well behaved during lunch, bouncing and clapping along with the shows the restaurant put on for all of the kids there. What Kurt found entertaining though was how attentive Blaine was to Carly. Kurt was afraid that the entire time they were out today Blaine would be trying to convince him to give him another chance, or constantly telling him that he loved him. Kurt was pleasantly surprised that aside from small talk Blaine's focus was on Carly…making sure she ate, as she tended to ignore her food in favor of the show, keeping her hands and face clean from pizza sauce getting on everything and pulling out his iPhone to talk a picture of Carly with the overgrown bear that was making the rounds after the show was over. Kurt had to admit he was impressed at how good Blaine was with her. Kurt couldn't help but be reminded again of what a great father Blaine was going to be one day.

Kurt would never admit it but lunch was over too quickly. Before they knew it they were heading back out to the car.

"Um, Blaine…where are we going?" Kurt knew this wasn't the way to Blaine's house.

"We're heading to Trevor's to drop Carly off. We figured this would be easier since I didn't know how long we'd be at lunch. I know it's Sunday but he's doing some work from home today and since his sister is going to pick Carly up from his house it didn't make sense for him to interrupt his work and leave when we could just drop her off."

Kurt supposed this made sense but if he were being honest with himself, he was afraid to be alone with Blaine again. Once Carly was dropped off they settled into a somewhat uncomfortable silence. Blaine wanted to say something to break the ice but if the small moment they shared before Trevor showed up with Carly this morning was any indication he knew Kurt was feeling more than he was admitting and Blaine didn't want to scare him off.

Kurt was feeling the tension too and he desperately wanted to just get back to Blaine's driveway so he could get out of Blaine's car and get directly into his own. He wanted to drive home and spend a few hours with his family before flying back to New York tomorrow morning. It wasn't until they reached Blaine's house that Kurt realized that he'd left his car keys sitting on Blaine's dining room table. Shit, now Kurt was forced to go inside.

Once inside, Blaine offered Kurt another cup of coffee, which Kurt declined. "Kurt, one cup of coffee won't kill you. I know you're going back to New York tomorrow and although I hope not, you might decide to not see me again. Can't we have one conversation that doesn't end with you storming out?"

Kurt's mind was screaming at him to get into his car and never look back but his heart was saying to stay and have one last cup of coffee. He listened to his heart this time. He sat on the couch while Blaine prepared the coffee. Every so often, Kurt would sneak a peek at Blaine in his kitchen. Damn he looked good. Again, Blaine's hand grazed Kurt's as he passed over the coffee cup, again that spark was there and again, they locked eyes for a moment.

Kurt's voice came out all breathy "You…you look really good today Blaine. Those jeans fit you like a glove."

Blaine's breath hitched in his throat "Thanks…I…" Blaine could resist no longer. He leaned over and placed his lips on Kurt's, half expecting to be slapped away. Blaine's gamble paid off when Kurt returned the kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aw, Kurt's fighting his feelings! But it's not all smooth sailing. Rough waters are ahead. Sorry but I do love me some angst.
> 
> The next update should be on Sunday like usual. :)


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! Another chapter, and a day earlier than my normal posting day! I won't be around tomorrow so I thought I'd post this chapter early rather than late. 
> 
> This is a short little fluffy chapter. I think we need some Klaine fluff after those pictures from S6 were released. 
> 
> Warning - smut. Nothing but smut. Although why anyone is reading a fic with an Explicit rating and needs to be warned about smut is beyond me, but there you go. Oh, and I'll just go ahead and say that this is the last time smut appears for a while. It's not gone for good, believe me, just gone for a bit. 
> 
> All mistakes are mine.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Kurt could barely believe that Blaine's lips were on his once again and what's more, that he wasn't pushing Blaine away. Oh, he just looked so yummy today in his skintight jeans and his lips were just as delicious too. That's why when Blaine's tongue cautiously asked for permission to enter Kurt's mouth, he didn't hesitate for a moment and granted Blaine access. They just kissed for a while. Some kisses lazy and just tasting each other, some kisses spent exploring each other's mouths, reminding themselves of what they've been missing, other kisses were passionate, like they couldn't get enough of each other. Then they would return to lazy kisses again. Truthfully, Kurt enjoyed the lazy kisses the best. There wasn't any desperation attached to the lazy kisses. Those kisses were happening just because they enjoyed kissing. Kurt had no idea how long they had been kissing when Blaine suddenly pulled back, disappointing Kurt because he honestly wanted more.

"Blaine, what are you doing?" Kurt found himself panting.

"I'm sorry Kurt. It's just you looked so good and I just couldn't help myself." Blaine clearly did not understand that Kurt was disappointed because Blaine had stopped the kiss, not because he'd started it. Blaine had felt he was obviously making progress and was afraid to push Kurt too far.

"No, Blaine. What I meant was, why are you stopping?" Kurt didn't wait for an answer, he just leaned over and kissed Blaine once more.

The kiss was everything that Kurt didn't know he had been missing for so long… the closeness and the certainty of Blaine's heart beating against his own. Kurt fisted his hands in Blaine's shirt, pulling him in closer as Blaine gently rested his hands on Kurt's hips, kissing him deeply and tilting his head at just the right angle. Kurt found his limbs shaking and his heart continued to skip beats. He desperately wanted to break and gasp for air but he was completely unable to.

Finally air became a necessity for Blaine and he stopped the kiss, taking a deep intake of air. Kurt said nothing, just simply stood up and reached a hand down to Blaine. Blaine looked up and saw Kurt's lust blown eyes and reached up, taking Kurt's hand and allowing himself to be led down the hall to his bedroom. He didn't know if this was a good thing or not. Blaine loved being intimate with Kurt…their actions yesterday brought all sorts of memories flooding back, but Blaine knew that getting Kurt to trust him again and agree to have some type of relationship again would be a slow and steady process. He didn't want to rush anything. He also knew though that Kurt was going back to New York tomorrow and Blaine didn't know when they'd have this chance again.

Once inside Blaine's bedroom they stood, pressed up together, kissing lightly, without any desperation. This was totally different than yesterday. Yesterday it was all about desperation. Blaine felt like this was a return to love making, not fucking. There was no push and pull, it was all equal want and desire.

Kurt confirmed Blaine's thought when he said "Make love to me Blaine. I need to feel you inside me."

"Okay" was all Blaine said before he reached down and began unbuttoning Kurt's shirt, one button at a time. Blaine wanted to take his time with this. He slowly pushed the shirt off of Kurt's shoulders, revealing how he'd filled out during the past seven years. Blaine was so stunned by Kurt's aggression yesterday that while he could appreciate Kurt's body, he hadn't had the time to really worship it. Today he was going to take that time.

After Kurt's shirt was gone, Kurt reached down to pull at the hem of Blaine's shirt and pulled his shirt over his head. Blaine was absolutely beautiful and Kurt was glad they were taking the time to do this slowly. After going back to New York tomorrow he had no idea when he'd see Blaine again, let alone what kind of relationship he wanted with him, or if he even wanted one at all. All Kurt knew was that he wasn't going to spend this time lost in his thoughts. He was going to go with what his heart was telling him and it was telling him to let Blaine make slow and passionate love to him.

Once his shirt was off, Blaine reached down and grabbed the bottom of Kurt's undershirt and pulled it over Kurt's head. Now they were both standing there, chest to chest, looking longingly into each other's eyes. "Kurt, you are so beautiful. I love you. I know you don't love me right now but you used to, and I just want to thank you for that."

Kurt looked at him. "No one has ever loved me like you do. Show me."

Staring into Kurt's eyes, Blaine's fingers slowly unbuckled Kurt's belt and then unbuttoned his jeans. He pushed his jeans down to the floor and Kurt stepped out of them, having kicked off their shoes during the walk to Blaine's bedroom. Blaine stood back up and kissed Kurt deeply, trying to put all of his emotion into that kiss. If Kurt wanted Blaine to show him how he loves him, damn it, he was going to show him.

Kurt then returned the action by unbuttoning Blaine's jeans and pushing them down to the floor as well. Damn, Kurt thought he was the one that wore skinny jeans. He wasn't sure how Blaine fit into this pair of pants and at this point he didn't care. He was just glad Blaine was out of them. They both stood there, wearing only their boxers, with their erections pressing up against each other. Kurt bucked his hips forward, craving some friction. Blaine bucked his hips forward as well. They stood there in the middle of Blaine's bedroom, practically dry humping each other, panting, before Blaine pulled Kurt back to his bed. Kurt laid down and Blaine straddled him before leaning down and kissing him once more. Kurt longed for Blaine's lips on his, his tongue dancing with his own. But more than that, he longed to feel Blaine inside of him. However, as much as he wanted to feel Blaine, he desperately didn't want to rush this.

Blaine's lips left Kurt's and he moaned but before he had a chance to even think about being disappointed, Blaine's lips were on Kurt's jaw and then moving to his neck and over to that stretch of skin just below his ear. When he nibbled on Kurt's earlobe, Kurt let out his growl and Blaine thought he was going to come right then. He licked the inside of Kurt's ear and then moved back down to his neck, then peppering his torso with light kisses before making his way to Kurt's nipple. If he thought Kurt's growl when he bit his earlobe was nearly orgasm inducing, he had no idea of the sound he would make when his nipple was sucked on. Oh dear Lord. Blaine found some self control within himself somehow and moved over to the other nipple. Kurt was bucking his hips, desperate for some friction. Blaine had angled himself in such a way that Kurt was unable to find the friction he was looking for.

When Blaine's lips reached the waistband of Kurt's boxers, Kurt was grabbing the sheets, almost desperate for the main event. Blaine however, had other plans. He skipped Kurt's throbbing cock, which had already created a wet spot on his boxers from his pre-come. Blaine kissed and licked up and down Kurt's legs. Kurt was writhing around on the bed. Finally, when he couldn't stand it anymore, Kurt pleaded "Blaine, please."

"Please what baby?" Blaine smiled. He knew exactly what Kurt wanted but he also wanted Kurt to beg for it. Well not necessarily beg, but as long as Kurt was asking for it, Blaine didn't feel like he was pushing anything or rushing anything.

"Please suck me. Now. I need you so bad. I need to feel your mouth on me."

"Your wish is my command baby." Blaine put his mouth on Kurt's cock through his boxers, mouthing along his length. Kurt moaned loud and long, loving the feeling of Blaine's mouth on his. There was only one thing that would make it better.

As if reading Kurt's mind, Blaine pulled Kurt's boxers down and after what seemed like an eternity, finally took Kurt into his mouth. Oh God, this felt so good. Kurt felt like he could come at any moment but he wanted to relish this. The feeling of Blaine on him…there was nothing that could compare to that. Sure, Kurt had been with a few other people in the past seven years but there was nothing that could compare to Blaine. Kurt realized that yesterday had been about fucking. Fast and raw and needy. This was needy too but on another level. This was about expressing their true feelings for each other. Kurt knew that Blaine loved him. Kurt didn't know exactly what he felt for Blaine but he felt like his body was going to express what his mind could not.

Blaine couldn't explain it but he felt something shift in the atmosphere. Something good. Blaine hummed around Kurt's cock. Oh, he tasted so good…so, so good. Blaine couldn't get enough. He slid his tongue along the underside of Kurt's cock and licked the head, sticking his tongue in the slit, lapping up the pre-come gathered there. Blaine then deep throated Kurt, taking all of him into his mouth, lightly grazing him with his teeth.

"Oh God Blaine! So, good…Ah, yes. Don't stop, please, don't stop." Blaine sucked him harder continuing his smooth up and down movements, humming along the way. Driving Kurt's hands into Blaine's hair. Despite Blaine's painfully ignored cock, Blaine loved every moment.

"Oooh, Blaine…oh…stop…you have to stop NOW before I come!" Kurt reluctantly felt Blaine pull off. Kurt gazed down looking at Blaine's eyes. He didn't see lust there like he'd expected. He saw adoration and love. Kurt sat up and pulled Blaine up to meet his lips relishing in a passionate kiss. Before Blaine knew what was happening, Kurt pushed Blaine down on his back and straddled him kissing down his chest, wasting no time before licking his nipples to get a reaction out of Blaine. And a reaction was exactly what he got. Blaine's body had been ignored for so long that when Kurt hit one of his erogenous zones, Blaine practically sprang off of the bed shouting "OH GOD KURT!"

Kurt decided to wait no longer and went straight to Blaine's cock, pulling off his boxers in one swift motion. Kurt sucked Blaine's cock like he was born to do it. And Blaine's cock filled Kurt's mouth like they were specifically made to fit together. The sweet and salty taste of Blaine's pre-come was the best thing Kurt had tasted in so long. Kurt wanted so badly to make Blaine come, shooting down his throat so he could drink it all up. But no, then it would be over and Kurt wanted, no, needed to feel Blaine inside him. Kurt pulled off and sat up. "Now, Blaine, I need to feel you inside of me. Please."

They exchanged places, with Kurt now laying on his back. Blaine gingerly placed a pillow under Kurt's hip and spreading his legs so Blaine could have better access. Blaine reached into his nightstand and pulled the lube and a condom from his drawer. Kurt was having a hard time staying still with all of the anticipation. "Shh, relax Kurt. I'm going to make this so good for you baby." Blaine's soothing voice calmed Kurt down enough for him to be still. It didn't stop his heart from trying to beat out of his chest though. After what felt like forever, Kurt felt a warm, lubed up finger lightly pressing against his entrance, rubbing small circles around it before slowly pushing in.

"More, Blaine, more!" Kurt was already trying to fuck Blaine's finger.

"Kurt, slow down. I don't want to hurt you. I need to stretch you. I want this to be the best you've ever had." Blaine was a little surprised at Kurt's eagerness but if he was being honest with himself, he was having trouble waiting too. Blaine pushed another finger in, beginning to scissor him open.

"Ugh, Blaine! Faster, I need to feel your cock inside of me. Hurry!" Blaine pushed a third and then fourth finger in, stretching Kurt open as fast as he could. He didn't want to hurt Kurt but he couldn't wait another moment. Blaine slid the condom on and then lubed his cock, lining himself up with Kurt's entrance. He slowly pushed in. "OH GOD BLAINE! SHIT!" Blaine had found Kurt's prostate on his first thrust.

"God, Kurt. You're so tight. You feel so good baby." They established a rhythm quickly, Kurt meeting each of Blaine's thrusts. They locked eyes and the emotion Blaine felt was almost overwhelming. He leaned over and kissed him. They were kissing and thrusting, kissing and thrusting…each thrust bringing the other closer and closer to the edge.

Kurt reached the edge first, "Oh God YES, Blaine! Oh, Oh, OOOHHH!" He spilled all over his stomach. Blaine felt like he had a couple of more thrusts in him before he came too but Kurt scrambled to push him out first. "No, Blaine. Please come in my mouth. I want to taste you, swallow you." That could have been the single most sexy thing Blaine had ever heard.

Blaine pulled out and barely had enough time to pull the condom off before Kurt sat up and pushed Blaine on his back and took him in his mouth. "Holy shit Kurt!" It didn't take long before Blaine was spilling down Kurt's throat. Kurt sucked him through until Blaine was too sensitive. Then Blaine pulled Kurt up on the bed next to him and leaned over him and licked Kurt's come off of his stomach.

"Wow, Blaine. That was the best ever." Even though it was early in the afternoon, Kurt was so tired. Blaine was making no move to get out of bed, taking time to allow his breathing to return to normal. Kurt snuggled up next to Blaine. Through very heavy lidded eyes, Kurt looked up at Blaine and said "Sleep, I need to sleep. Please just a quick nap."

"Of course baby. Come here." Blaine reached his arms open and they turned so that Blaine was the big spoon, Kurt the little spoon. Blaine waited until right before sleep overtook him before he whispered in Kurt's ear. "I love you Kurt."

Kurt, hearing Blaine's breathing even out whispered softly "I love you too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kurt is still coming to terms with his feelings. Don't worry my angst lovers, it will return. There are a few twists coming up that you might not see coming. 
> 
> Oh and since I doubt I'll update again until next Sunday - MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Sunday y'all! I hope everyone had a fabulous Christmas. 
> 
> I'm not sure if I mentioned it before, but Finn is alive and well in my fic. He doesn't play a major role. More background but he pops up every now and again. He's briefly mentioned in this chapter.
> 
> Now to return to the angst...
> 
> All mistakes are mine.
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing.

When Blaine woke up he wasn't sure how much time had passed. He could see that dusk was settling in outside so he assumed he'd been sleeping for a few hours. Blaine smiled at the memory of making love to Kurt. It was beautiful…everything he'd hoped it would be. It was slow and sensual and well, perfection. Kurt…

Rolling over he expected to see Kurt laying next to him still sleeping. Instead, what he found was an empty bed. Well not quite empty, a note had been left for him.

_Blaine,_

_Thank you for lunch this afternoon. I enjoyed meeting Carly, and Trevor as well._

_I needed to get home so I could pack for my flight and spend some time with my_

_family before leaving tomorrow. Good luck with my dad's case. I'm sure you'll_

_win it for him. It was good to see you again. Take care of yourself._

_-Kurt_

Blaine was shocked. A note? Kurt left him a note?! He just walked out and left a note? Blaine got up and padded into the living room. When he saw Kurt's untouched cup of coffee sitting on the table a rush of anger compelled him and he picked up that cup of coffee and threw it across the room sending coffee everywhere and leaving shattered pieces of glass all over the floor. Fitting, seeing as his heart felt shattered as well.

* * *

Kurt sat in the car in his driveway. He couldn't believe that he'd just left Blaine like that…with little more than a note. He felt horrible about it but when he woke up after their nap he found himself nestled in Blaine's arms. He had a pain in his ass but it was a good pain. It reminded him of the afternoon they'd spent making love. Yes, Kurt had to classify it as making love now because he also remembered whispering that he loved Blaine after he'd fallen asleep. Oh man, that scared the shit out of him. He could not fall in love with Blaine again. No way, no how. His life was too full. He had the meeting of his life coming up and if he wanted his dreams to come true he had to get back to New York. He had to get his portfolio together so he could impress the hell out of Ms. Spencer.

He was so thankful that he had not told his father he was going to lunch with Blaine. After yesterday's interrogation Kurt didn't think he could handle another one. Kurt knew his father had come to like Blaine again. Obviously now Kurt could see why – although for very different reasons. Blaine had grown into quite a man now. Honesty though, he couldn't understand why his dad was trying to push Blaine on him. Their living locations alone were enough to discourage any type of relationship between them, let alone the other issues that they would need to work though.

Knowing that Kurt was leaving in the morning Carole had cooked quite a dinner for the family and insisted that Finn join them as well. This was the first opportunity that Kurt had to spend time with Finn's girlfriend. She seemed like a lovely girl and balanced Finn quite well. Kurt almost dreaded seeing Rachel again because he knew she would be asking all about Finn and his girlfriend. Despite Rachel having been with Marc for a long time, Rachel would never quite get over Finn fully. Hm, seemed familiar. Kurt wasn't sure he'd ever fully get over Blaine, now more than ever, but he had to try. He had more important things to focus on right now.

Kurt's last evening at home was quiet. They watched a movie and had some of Carole's pie. Finally around 10pm Kurt decided to call it a night. He had purposely left his phone upstairs while he was spending time with his family because he was afraid that Blaine would be trying to contact him. When Kurt checked his phone he was surprised to find that there weren't any missed calls or texts. Blaine hadn't tried to contact him. Kurt's heart hurt but he felt that this was probably for the best. Kurt finished up his moisturizing routine before climbing into bed, wishing he had strong arms around him.

* * *

After Blaine cleaned up the mess he made from throwing the coffee cup across the room, he sank on the couch and sobbed. He couldn't believe that after what he and Kurt had shared this afternoon, Kurt had left without a single word. Blaine thought about calling him but figured it was for the best to leave him alone for the time being. Blaine knew that he was making progress with Kurt. Blaine could feel Kurt's feelings shift. No, Blaine was not going to spend the evening crying over Kurt, and Blaine was not done fighting…not by a long shot. The first step of Blaine's plan was to win this case for Burt. He knew that Kurt had a huge meeting coming up at work and he knew that Kurt would immerse himself during the next few weeks. Blaine planned to do the same. Even though Blaine climbed into his empty bed (with a pillow that still smelled like Kurt) with a heavy heart, he had a plan and that gave him some hope.

* * *

The morning came way too soon for both Kurt and Blaine. Kurt was glad that he had a plane ride that would allow him a few more hours of sleep before being bombarded by Rachel. Blaine, on the other hand, had a busy day ahead of him. Clover Inc., had expected an answer to their offer this morning. Burt had already informed Blaine that he was turning it down. He knew that there was little else that they could do. They were only going to offer Burt a certain amount of money. Blaine wasn't really surprised when he walked into his office and found he had a note on his desk informing him that his father wished to see him. Blaine's call to Clover Inc, would have to wait until after he spoke with his father. His father never liked waiting.

"Good morning dad. You wanted to see me?" Mitchell Anderson turned to face his son. He did not look happy.

"Blaine, do you know what time it is? Where have you been?"

Blaine sighed internally, never externally in front of his father. "Dad, it's not even 8am yet. I didn't realize you needed me in earlier today or I would have been here."

"You obviously did not check your email this weekend did you?" The irritation was seeping off of Mr. Anderson.

"I'm sorry but no, I didn't. I did have my phone on me all weekend though." Blaine neglected to tell his father that he had spent most of the weekend with Kurt. Besides, it wasn't often that Blaine checked his email on weekends. If his services were needed, he was always contacted by phone if it were important.

"Well if you had checked your email you would have seen that Clover Inc has decided to drop their case against Hummel Tires and Lube."

The biggest smile ever crossed Blaine's face. He'd won! His first case he'd won! Burt would keep his shop! Oh he couldn't wait to tell Burt. He couldn't wait to tell Kurt. Kurt…

"Wipe that smile off of your face Blaine. It's not like you won the case. They dropped the lawsuit. There is a difference and even though I should be, I'm not surprised that even after law school you don't know that. It's not a win for you. They are not building elsewhere as you and Mr. Hummel were hoping."

Blaine was not at all shocked that his father could not even be happy for him. Yes, there was a difference between a dropped lawsuit and winning a case in a court room. But still, this counted as a win on Blaine's record as a lawyer. "So, was that it or was there another reason I needed to be here early? I'd like to contact Mr. Hummel and let him know that Clover Inc has decided to drop their case against him."

"Blaine you really should wait until a respectable hour before calling Mr. Hummel. Besides, while he gets to keep his little tire shop, he will still be next door to a mini mall. Clover Inc still have development plans in place to build on that land. When that little ice cream shop sold out, they realized they didn't necessarily need Mr. Hummel's land. Anyway no, that was not IT as you so rudely put it. Mr. Speagle had a rather large case show up on his desk late Friday and I need you to assist him with it."

"Assist? Isn't there anything that I could work on solo? I think you know that I am ready to handle cases on my own. You never received one complaint about my work from Mr. Hummel and even the lawyers for Clover Inc said they were impressed by my work. I made sure all of my research was done and I never missed one single meeting." The last thing Blaine wanted to do was assist someone else on a case. He was not an intern anymore. He was a full blown lawyer and deserved to be treated as such.

"Blaine, I had no intention of putting you on this case. The only reason I did was because Mr. Hummel insisted on it. And I wouldn't have expected Mr. Hummel to complain because his son is your little boyfriend."

"Dad, Kurt is not my boyfriend."

"Don't play stupid with me Blaine. Do you really think I didn't know how much time you've spent with him over the past two days? No wonder you didn't check your email. You were too busy playing family with Mr. Hummel's son."

"Kurt Dad, his name is Kurt. And I can't believe you had someone following me this weekend." Blaine knew that his father had someone watching over him because there was no other way his father would know how Blaine spent his weekend. Blaine picked a house on the complete opposite of town when he moved because he didn't want to live anywhere near his father. And besides, his father would never be caught dead in a place like Showbiz Pizza.

"This discussion is over Blaine. Mr. Speagle is expecting you in his office. He will brief you on what he needs you to do. You can go now." When Mitchell Anderson was done talking, he was done talking.

Blaine was furious. He should be happy. Burt would get to keep his shop but instead of reveling in his joy, he found out that not only had his father sent someone to follow him around this weekend, but as a punishment he was being relegated back to intern status. And that was exactly what it was. After sitting with Mr. Speagle all he wanted from Blaine was grunt work. Blaine would never get any sympathy from him because next to his father, Mr. Speagle was the top attorney in the firm. Hell, Blaine wouldn't be surprised if Speagle had been the one to follow him around this weekend and report back to his father.

Blaine walked back into his office and shut the door. He should be happy he even had an office. Interns didn't get offices and that's essentially what he was. Blaine wondered why his father's law firm was even named Anderson and Son…Anderson and Speagle seemed more like it. Blaine knew he only did it for his mother. Mitchell Anderson was not the nicest of men but he did love his wife and her love for Blaine was the only reason he had not been kicked out when he came out to his parents. They would never admit that but he knew it was true.

He spent a few hours doing some research for Speagle until it seemed to be a respectable hour as his father put it and called Burt to tell him that Clover Inc had dropped the case against him.

"Oh, that's fantastic Blaine! Really, kid, you have no idea how much that means to me. I'll make sure to put in a good word with your father if you'd like me to."

"That's not necessary Burt. I'm just glad that you aren't losing your shop. I know how much that place means to you."

"Old man still giving you a hard time kiddo?" Burt had an uncanny ability to hear the unsaid words.

"Oh, you know…the usual. But listen Burt, don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Really."

"Listen kid, I know you spent some time with Kurt this past weekend. I don't know what happened between you but you should know that you are welcome at my house anytime. If you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to call me. I mean that. Okay?"

"Thank, Burt. That means a lot. I'll keep that in mind. I promise. Now if you'll excuse me I've got some work that needs my attention. I assume you'll inform Kurt of today's development?"

"Yeah, sure thing kid. Remember what I said." With that Burt hung up.

Part of Blaine was sad that he wasn't going to call Kurt to give him the good news but Blaine knew that Kurt was probably just getting back into New York and it wouldn't be too long after before he was knee deep in designs. No, Blaine didn't want to distract Kurt right now but after this morning's development, Blaine had a new plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know there wasn't a whole lot of Kurt in this chapter but his return to NY is in the next chapter. 
> 
> I hope everyone has a very Happy New Year! Be safe!
> 
> See ya next Sunday! :)


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy early update! I won't be home at all during the weekend so I thought I'd give you an early update rather than a late update! Enjoy!!
> 
> All mistakes are mine.
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Kurt was exhausted by the time his plane touched down in New York. He'd hoped with the early morning flight he'd be able to get a little bit of sleep on the plane but his mind was traveling almost as fast as the plane was. He couldn't get Blaine off of his mind. He still felt bad about leaving with nothing but a note behind. He kept thinking about the shift in their relationship. In the span of two days, Kurt had managed to sleep with Blaine twice. Both times were very different though. The first time had been nothing but fucking…raw and animalistic. The second time, barely twelve hours ago was anything but fucking. It was slow and sweet and passionate but not desperate. It was love making, pure and simple. But topping all of those thoughts, was Kurt remembering how he'd told Blaine he loved him. He was so thankful that Blaine had been asleep but still, Kurt had said it nonetheless.

Kurt was looking forward to getting back to his apartment, catching up on some sleep, then hopefully getting some designing done. He had just nestled into his pillow when he heard a knock on his door. No one besides his family in Ohio knew he was coming back to New York early. He was not prepared to deal with Rachel yet. He couldn't deal with her questions when he didn't even know how to answer them himself. He thought about ignoring the knocking but it just got more persistent. Then he heard it…

"Kurt Hummel! I know you're in there! Answer the damn door!"

Ugh, Rachel. How did she know he was back? He gave serious consideration to ignoring her anyway but then he remembered that she had a spare key to his apartment for emergencies and he figured he'd better get up because she'd come in anyway. He had just reached the door when he heard her keys going into the lock. He swung the door open before she could open it herself. "What!?" he practically shouted at her.

"Geez Kurt. No need to yell. Why didn't you tell me you were coming back today? What happened with Blaine? Last time we spoke you had just found out he hadn't cheated on you after all and you were gonna talk to your dad." Rachel pushed past Kurt into his apartment without being invited.

"How did you even know I was back?"

"Finn told me this morning." Rachel turned around and took a good look at Kurt. "What the hell happened? You look like hell."

"Finn told you? This morning? What were you doing talking to Finn so early in the morning? Please don't tell me there are problems with you and Marc. Besides, I met Finn's girlfriend and she's a lovely girl. I can't deal with anymore drama in my life right now."

Rachel's eyes scrunched slightly. "First, Marc and I are fine. Secondly, this is not about me and Finn. This is about you and Blaine. I need to know what happened. You were only gone for a couple of days and you look like you've spent three years in a war zone. I'm your best friend. I'm here to listen."

Wow, if Rachel didn't want to talk about herself then she must be serious about wanting to listen. So Kurt told her. He told her everything including the fact that he'd slept with Blaine twice. The only thing he left out was the fact that he'd told Blaine that he loved him while he was sleeping. He still didn't know how he felt about that. When he was finished, Rachel just looked at him for a few moments. The she asked the question he didn't want asked. "Do you still love him?"

_Shit! I was really hoping she wouldn't ask that!_ Kurt thought. "I don't know" was what he said. Just as the words left his mouth his phone began ringing. He looked at the caller ID and when he saw his dad's name flashing on the screen he realized he'd never called his father to let him know he'd arrived back home safely. "Hold on Rachel. It's my dad…Hey dad. Sorry I didn't call when I got back. I'm just pretty tired."

Rachel watched Kurt while he spoke with his father, still trying to process everything that Kurt had told her. It seemed to her that Kurt still loved Blaine. Or at the very least, he was falling in love with him again…even if he wasn't willing to admit it to himself yet. Rachel was pulled from her thoughts when she heard Kurt exclaim "That's fantastic Dad! I'm so happy everything worked out! Blaine must be beside himself."

Rachel saw a mixture of emotions cross Kurt's face when he was talking about Blaine with his dad. She assumed from Kurt's side of the conversation that the lawsuit must have gone in Burt's favor. Meaning it went in Blaine's favor as well. Rachel could see pride on Kurt's face as well as hurt, then adoration (yes, it was adoration she was seeing) then ending on confusion. Ok, confusion. Rachel could deal with confusion. There was hurt, that was to be expected. But she was 100% sure she'd seen adoration on Kurt's face too and when she saw the confusion cross Kurt's face she knew that meant that things between him and Blaine weren't so black and white. They were in the grey area. Yes, Rachel could work with this. Granted, she wasn't exactly pleased with the way Blaine had handled things back then but he was really trying to make things right and more than anything, she wanted Kurt to be happy. Sure, Kurt had dated during the past seven years but he never let any of those relationships last long enough for him to get attached. Rachel knew he was just trying to protect his heart after Blaine had broken it. She understood. It took her quite a long time to get over Finn. But she had managed to move on and eventually she found Marc. The difference between her and Kurt though is that Kurt would never move on. She knew Blaine was it for Kurt. Blaine knew he was it for Kurt. Hell, it seems even Burt knew Blaine was it for Kurt. Now Kurt just had to know it.

"Hello? Earth to Rachel." Kurt got off the phone and found Rachel staring into space.

"Sorry, just going over some lines for the play in my head" she lied. "I'm assuming things with the lawsuit went well?"

"Yeah. My dad got a call from Blaine earlier saying that the development company decided to drop the lawsuit. So even though his shop will be located right next door to a mini-mall, he gets to keep it open." Kurt sighed. "So it's all good I guess."

"What aren't you telling me Kurt? This should be good news right?" Rachel could always tell when Kurt was holding something back.

"No, it is good news. He's just gonna be by a mini-mall. The horror!"

"Don't pull that shit with me Hummel! I know there is something else bothering you. You might as well tell me because you know I'm not gonna let up until you do."

Kurt sighed again. Sometimes he wished he and Rachel didn't know each other so well. "Fine. My dad expressed some concern for Blaine. Blaine didn't say anything but my dad seems to think that even after Blaine pulled through for him, Mitchell Anderson was still just as disappointed in Blaine as he'd always been. I don't get it Rachel. I may not be happy about certain things in our past, but Blaine has turned into a good man and he works hard for his father. Why can't his father see that? It's just a shame that he's shunned in his own family just because he's gay. He deserves a dad like mine."

When Kurt finished talking, he noticed Rachel was smiling. "What? Why are you smiling?"

"Because Kurt. You might not realize it but I think you might be ready to forgive Blaine for what happened. And if you can forgive him, you might be able to feel more…"

Kurt sighed. "Rachel, I'm really exhausted from my flight and I really need to start working on designing. Can we just table this conversation for now?"

"Sure Kurt. Just one more thing…"

"What?"

"Finn's girlfriend. What's she like?"

* * *

The next few weeks went by in a blur for Kurt. It turns out that his trip back to Lima did provide some inspiration for Kurt. The designs just kept coming and before he knew it, he had more than enough designs for his portfolio. He tried to convince himself that his newfound inspiration had nothing to do with reconnecting with Blaine (was that what he was calling it? Reconnecting?) but truthfully, he was pretty sure that it did. Well, not entirely Blaine. He surprisingly found himself designing children's clothes. He was pretty sure Carly had something to do with that. She was such an adorable girl and he got to thinking that if he had children one day he would want something original to dress them in. The House of Rosaline Spencer did not design children's clothing but Kurt decided to leave a few of the designs in his portfolio just to show off his diversity.

During those few weeks after his return to New York, Kurt began to feel increasingly guilty about leaving Blaine with nothing but a note behind. After about two weeks of the guilt eating away at him Kurt decided he needed to at least apologize. That was the right thing to do. It would also give him the chance to officially thank him for the successful turnout on his dad's case.

_Text or call? Text or call?_ kept running through Kurt's thoughts. He decided to text. He wasn't sure he could handle hearing Blaine's voice. Especially if he was still hurting. Kurt would be able to hear the hurt in his voice and it would be too much for him. So, one night after six straight hours of sitting at his table designing clothes with Carly in mind, he decided to send Blaine a text.

_(10:13pm)_

_Hey, are you up?_

_(10:29pm)_

_I am. I am also surprised to hear from you Kurt._

_(10:32pm)_

_I know. I wanted to tell you congrats on winning my dad's case. He was pretty happy…and so am I._

_(10:35pm)_

_Well as my father informed me, I really didn't do much. They dropped the suit…not really a win for me._

_(10:36pm)_

_What? Of course it's a win Blaine. Why would your father say such things?_

_(10:38pm)_

_Well a dropped suit is different from a courtroom win._

_(10:40pm)_

_Maybe, but I still see it as a win. So does my dad. He said he was very proud of you._

_(10:43pm)_

_That's very kind of him. I always did like your dad._

_(10:45pm)_

_He's worried about you._

_(10:47pm)_

_Who? Your dad?_

_(10:48pm)_

_Yeah. He seems to think your dad is still giving you a hard time. Is he?_

_(10:50pm)_

_No more than usual. It's fine…I'm fine._

_(10:51pm)_

_Are you? Look, I know what I did was shitty. I'm sorry for leaving a note._

_(10:54pm)_

_Yes, Kurt it was shitty and I was angry but I know you were just confused about what_ _happened while you were here. I get it. And I forgive you._

_(10:58pm)_

_Thank you._

_(11:01pm)_

_Forgiveness is part of the deal when you love someone. And I love you Kurt._

_(11:03pm)_

_It's getting late. I've got work tomorrow. I just wanted to say congrats and that I was sorry for leaving_ _the way I did._

_(11:06pm)_

_Ok. Thanks for the apology. Good luck with your meeting. I'll know it'll be great. Goodnight Kurt._

_(11:07pm)_

_Goodnight Blaine._

_(11:09pm)_

_I still love you…always have , always will…_

Kurt sighed as he put his phone away. He just wanted to tell Blaine congratulations on the case and that he was sorry for the way he left things in Lima. Now he was left with the reminder that Blaine still loved him. He couldn't deal with that right now. The biggest meeting in his life was only one week away. He was finished with his portfolio. All that was left was just fine tuning some of his designs. He was ready. He took one more look at Blaine's last text… _I still love you…always have…always will…_ and fell into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

Blaine was not expecting to hear from Kurt tonight. So he was shocked when he received the text message. He was thankful for Kurt apologizing for the way he ran out on him. Part of Blaine felt like it was just yesterday that Kurt was in his bed, but another part of him felt like it had been years and years ago.

Blaine had been wrestling with himself as to whether he should get in touch with Kurt or not over the past few weeks. He was determined to fight for him this time. He was not letting Kurt get away. He ultimately decided it would be best to wait until after Kurt's meeting with Ms. Spencer before taking the next step in his plan. Blaine didn't have all the details ironed out but now that Kurt had reappeared in his life he knew they were going to be together again…forever this time. He just needed Kurt to believe it too. And that's why Blaine told Kurt he loved him again in tonight's text message. He was going to tell Kurt every chance he could.

Meanwhile Blaine was doing everything he could to survive at work. Assisting Speagle on his case was a living nightmare. He was doing nothing but grunt work. Hell, he wasn't even allowed to attend the meetings with the opposing attorneys. Blaine caught on very quickly that his father had Speagle in his back pocket. Blaine was positive that Speagle was the one following him around during the weekend that Kurt was in town. How else would his father know how much time they had spent together? All Mitchell Anderson had to say was "jump" and Speagle would ask "how high".

Blaine knew he only had to tough things out a little longer. He had a plan but he could not put things into motion until after Kurt's meeting with Ms. Spencer. Only one more week. Blaine was hoping that Kurt would call him to let him know how the meeting went. But in case he didn't, Blaine had kept in contact with Burt. Well, keeping in touch with Burt in order to keep tabs on Kurt was only half of the reason. Although Blaine never told Burt that his father still saw him as a disappointment, Burt knew. And Blaine knew Burt knew. Blaine and Burt never discussed what went on between Blaine and Kurt during that weekend but Burt knew that his son had spent quite a bit of time with Blaine. Once Kurt went back to New York, Burt decided to meet up with Blaine. He asked Blaine to stop by the house so he could personally congratulate him on the way the case turned out, but truthfully, he wanted to talk to Blaine about the lie he told Kurt all those years ago.

Blaine was nervous about going to see Burt. He assumed that Kurt had told his dad the truth and after receiving daily lectures from his own father about what a failure he was, Blaine didn't think he would be able to handle hearing it from Burt. Disappointing his own father was something he accepted a very long time ago but disappointing Burt? That was a thought he couldn't stomach. Thankfully, Burt being the world's greatest dad, told Blaine that while he didn't agree with what Blaine did, he could understand. He also told Blaine that he had matured into a fine young man and that despite Kurt's reluctance, Kurt did still care about him. Blaine told Burt that he still loved Kurt and he was going to fight for Kurt. Burt responded by saying he was proud of him. That brought tears to his eyes. Blaine always wanted someone to be proud of him.

One more week…Blaine kept repeating that in his mind. Sure, he had a plan but things don't always go according to plan. Blaine had learned that lesson several times during the course of his life. But this plan had to work. He just needed a few things to fall into place. Then everything would be perfect.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cliffhanger but not really... We'll see Kurt's meeting with Ms. Spencer next. And just because the lawsuit regarding Burt's shop is over, it doesn't mean this fic is nearing the end. I still have some editing, but I'm guessing it'll be around 28 or 29 chapters in length. Which means there are some twists and turns ahead. :)
> 
> Now that the holidays are over, my schedule will be going back to normal after this weekend. That means you should expect the next chapter on Sunday, 11 January.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for this chapter: blood. Also, Blaine is not in this chapter other than a mention of him. We're seeing Kurt's meeting with Ms. Spenser in this chapter. 
> 
> All mistakes are mine.
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Kurt woke up super early on the morning of his meeting with Ms. Spencer. He wasn't scheduled to be in the office until 10am but when his eyes popped open at 4:30am he knew not to even bother trying to go back to sleep. So instead, he got up and made some coffee and sat down to read the paper. Kurt didn't need to stress about his outfit. He'd already picked it out the night before and did not feel the need to second guess himself. He also didn't feel the need to second guess a single design in his portfolio. He knew every one of those designs were perfect. He would not change a single thing…even the fact that he still agreed with his decision to include some of the children's clothing that he'd designed. Kurt was feeling good. He was feeling confident. Today was going to be perfect. Today, all of his dreams were going to come true.

Kurt strolled into his office around 9am. Several of the other designers in the office were offering him good luck wishes, while others simply offered him a glare. That was ok. They were just jealous. Ms. Spencer's assistant was sitting at her desk when Kurt approached her at around 9:45am.

"May I help you?" Kurt read her nameplate: Glenda Stapleton.

"Yes, Ms. Stapleton. My name is Kurt Hummel and I have a ten o'clock meeting with Ms. Spencer." Kurt wasn't surprised that his voice was as steady as a rock. He was still feeling confident.

"Ah yes, Mr. Hummel. Ms. Spencer is finishing up a meeting with some board members. As soon as they are finished, I'll let her know you're here. Please, in the meantime have a seat. There's coffee just around the corner if you'd like some."

Kurt thanked her and took a seat in what could only be described as a small waiting room. He was waiting for his nerves to kick in but surprisingly, they never did. He was cool, calm and collected. He watched Glenda as she was continuously answering the phone. She took message after message, never once putting a call through. During the entire time she was answering call after call, she was also typing furiously on her computer. Kurt had no idea what she was typing but she never seemed to lose focus. Kurt decided that when he was in a position like Ms. Spencer's one day, he would need an assistant just as talented as Glenda was.

Suddenly, the door to Ms. Spencer's office opened and two men and one woman, impeccably dressed Kurt might add, walked out into the small waiting area followed by Ms. Spencer herself. Kurt had only spoken to her a couple of times before and he always found himself in awe of her. She was stunningly beautiful but she had a kind face. She was also relatively young. She got her big break at a young age. And wow, was she talented…and a super smart businesswoman. Her fashion house was one of the most well known in the world not only because she was one of the world's best designers but also because she surrounded herself with the best. Kurt was hoping to become just another one of those she surrounded herself with.

She said her polite goodbyes to the board members and turned to look at Kurt. She made eye contact, smiled and said "Mr. Hummel, I've been looking forward to our meeting. Please come in." She was personable. That was another thing that made her so successful. It was important to remember all of the details. After telling Glenda to hold all of her calls, and really, that's what Glenda had been doing all morning it seems, she led Kurt into her office.

"So Mr. Hummel, in preparation for our meeting I've been reacquainting myself with some of your work. You are quite a talented young man. I assume that's your portfolio you're holding, yes?" She spoke in completely professional terms but she just had this niceness about her that put Kurt even more at ease than he already was.

"Yes ma'am." Kurt handed over his portfolio. She motioned for Kurt to have a seat in one of her plush chairs while she took a seat at her desk and opened his portfolio. Kurt watched her as she carefully looked at each one. Her face never giving away whether she liked what she saw or not. Kurt was prepared to be a nervous wreck while she was going over his work but still, he found himself completely calm.

Her eyebrow arched when she reached a particular page. Kurt could tell from how many pages she'd already looked at that she had reached the children's section. She still said nothing and that small eyebrow arch was the only indication that she'd seen something that she hadn't expected. Forty-five minutes later, she closed his portfolio and looked up at him.

"Mr. Hummel I must say this is not what I was expecting. You see, every year I like to take a look at some of our junior staffers and give them a chance to impress me. That was how I got my big break. Someone took a chance on me and I knocked their socks off. Every year, I tell the junior staffer that if I like what I see they might find themselves with a promotion. Maybe not a full out line of their own but maybe a co-line with some other designer. I've been doing this for the past ten years. Do you know how many junior staffers have ever impressed me enough to warrant such a promotion?" Kurt shook his head. "Zero, Mr. Hummel. Zero."

For the first time Kurt began to feel nervous. He wasn't quite sure what to make of what she was saying. She still had that niceness to her voice. Kurt felt like she could be telling him that she killed kittens on the weekends and with that voice, no one would care. Was that what she was doing? Was Kurt the kitten in this case? He'd been so confident all morning. Hell, for the entire past week he felt like everything was perfect. Now he was wondering if he should've changed this hemline on one design or indicated a different fabric on another. His head was spinning with what-ifs.

The next words uttered snapped Kurt back into the present. "Until now. I knew I was right in choosing you this year. I had a gut instinct about you the first time one of your sketches crossed my desk. I love everything I see in this portfolio. Everything. Which brings me to ask…what made you include children's clothing? We don't even design children's clothes."

Kurt decided to be honest. "Well a few weeks ago I went back to my hometown to visit my father. While there I ran into, uh, an old friend and I helped him babysit this adorable three year old little girl. Her clothes were fine but I realized that outside of the Baby Gap there really isn't much else to choose from in Ohio. I guess I could say inspiration struck. I know you don't have a children's line but something was telling me to include them in the portfolio, so I did."

Ms. Spencer stood up and walked around to lean on the front of her desk…directly in front of Kurt. "You listened to your gut Mr. Hummel. Wise choice."

They spent the next hour going over a handful of Kurt's designs in greater detail. Her asking why he chose this color or fabric or cut. She preferred his men's ware over the casual women's line but she absolutely loved his couture. That actually surprised Kurt. He preferred the men's line. What surprised him the most though was how long they'd spent going over his designs. He knew how busy she was and he was thankful for the time she was giving him. Even if nothing came of this, she still gave him some pointers and they did make a couple of changes to a few of his designs. He didn't complain because they were minor changes and they were coming from Ms. Rosaline Spencer herself.

After they'd gone through everything she stood up and closed Kurt's portfolio. "Do you mind if I keep this with me? I can see that Glenda gets you copies if you need."

"Absolutely Ms. Spencer. I have digital copies as well as hard copies of everything." Kurt couldn't believe that she wanted to keep his portfolio.

"Well in that case I'll see that Glenda gets you copies of the designs we made the adjustments on. I'd like to show the board members a few of your other designs. In the meantime, I'm going to set you up with Paul Brewer." Kurt knew that name and knew it well. He was the Paul Brewer of Brewer Mensware under the House of Rosaline Spenser. Men all over the world lined up to wear his designs. "Now I do love your couture but I really think you'll benefit more working with Paul. He has just begun working on his new line and I think a collaboration between the two of you could result in great things. I see a promising future for you Kurt. You're not ready for your own line yet…but you will be, and you will be soon. And we'll be proud to include it under the Spencer umbrella."

Kurt felt like he had lost the ability to speak but he managed to thank her and after shaking her hand and receiving a promise that she would be in touch regarding meeting with Paul Brewer, Kurt walked out of the office on cloud nine. Screw working the rest of the day. He had a father to make proud.

"Wow Kurt! That's fantastic news! I knew she would love you!" Burt was just as excited as Kurt was. He couldn't believe how far Kurt had made it since leaving Ohio behind. He really was bigger than Lima. "So what now? When am I going to see Johnny Depp wearing a Kurt Hummel original?"

Kurt laughed. "Well Dad, I don't have my own line yet. Remember she said it was a collaboration. But Dad, it's with Paul Brewer! Paul Brewer!" Kurt had exited the building and decided he would walk back to his apartment rather than take the subway. It was a beautiful day outside and Kurt had so much energy built up that he didn't feel like sitting on the subway. "Anyway, I don't really know what happens next. She said that she would be in touch. Now I just wait. I should get an email with more details in a day or two."

"I am so proud of you Kurt. Really proud. Are you gonna tell Blaine?" Burt was a little hesitant about bringing up Blaine but Kurt had asked about Blaine once or twice since he returned to New York. Of course Burt made a point to tell Kurt he had been a little worried about Blaine. Honestly Burt felt bad for Blaine. He was working so hard for his father and he didn't even appreciate it. No one should live their life like that.

Kurt sighed. "I don't know dad. I'm sure he'll find out. I know you'll tell him."

"I will if you want me to kid, but I think he'd probably rather hear it from you. Look, I'm not trying to push you into anything…" Burt heard another heavy sigh from Kurt. "…really I'm not Kurt. He's just under a lot of stress at work and you know how his father treats him. It would be nice if he could hear this exciting news from you."

"You know he's under a lot of stress at work? How often do you talk to him dad? I mean, I know you told me right after you'd hired him that you felt like he'd grown into a good young man. I just didn't think you'd continue a friendship with him once the lawsuit was over."

"Well I met with him not too long ago. He really hates what happened between you two all those years ago. And yes, he filled me in one what's going on with him at work. Despite everything he still hasn't earned the respect of his father. I don't think he ever will." Burt paused then added "He still loves you, you know."

Another heavy sigh from Kurt, "Yes, I know Dad. He's told me. And I hate what he has to go through at work but as hateful as this may sound, that really isn't a concern of mine. He made the choice to work for his father…just like he made the choice to lie to me back then. And he should regret that choice. He's where he is because of his decisions, not mine."

"Wow Kurt, I thought you were a bigger person than that. Maybe if you could find it within yourself to forgive him, maybe he could forgive himself."

Kurt thought for a moment and remembered Blaine's text from last week… _forgiveness is part of the deal when you love someone_ …finally he spoke, "I don't know if I'm ready for that. I'm still confused about my feelings for him. I didn't know how much I missed him until I saw him again but I don't know what I can handle. And that includes whether or not I can forgive him just yet. Although I will say that spending time with him again was…"

CRASH!

Burt heard a loud noise and what sounded like a scream followed by a lot of strange noise that Burt couldn't quite make out. "Kurt?! KURT?!" Burt received no response. What he didn't know was that on the other end of the line Kurt was laying on the ground in a pool of his own blood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't hate me for this! Kurt's accident will be the catalyst for the direction this story is now taking. Please stay with me. 
> 
> I don't plan on going into specific details regarding Kurt's accident, but if I do, I'll make sure to put a warning and frame it with stars (***) so you can feel free to skip past parts. 
> 
> Quick update regarding my posting schedule...I will continue to update on Sundays as usual. However, if I find time during the week to post an extra update, I will. As I mentioned last chapter, this fic has around 28 or 29 chapters, depending on my editing. 
> 
> Maybe I'll see you during the week, but if not, see ya next Sunday.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry for leaving you with the last chapter the way I did! Here's an early, Friday update for you. It's a long chapter too!
> 
> Warning: description of injuries. This chapter does not describe Kurt's actual attack in detail. It does, however, describe the injuries he sustained. 
> 
> Blaine makes a reappearance and the ovearll arc of the fic is shifting directions. I hope you enjoy!
> 
> Mistakes are mine.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own anything.

Kurt managed to slightly pry open one eye. Why did everything hurt like hell? And where was he? He couldn't move…opening one eye was all he could manage. Why couldn't he open the other eye? And where was he? "Uggghhh…"

"Kurt? Kurt? Are you awake? Nurse! He's awake!"

"Dad?" Kurt's voice came out as barely a whisper. Why was he in so much pain?

"Yes, yes, it's me. Don't try to move ok, buddie? The nurse paged the doctor and he should be in shortly." As soon as the words were out of Burt's mouth, Dr. Richman came into the room.

"Well good afternoon Kurt. So glad you could join us." Dr. Richman then looked at Burt. "Have you told him what happened?" Burt shook his head. "Well in that case Kurt, I'm going to let your dad fill you in on why you're in the hospital. I'm just going to take your vitals and then I'll be back shortly for a few more tests. I need you to wake up a little bit beforehand though, ok? Are you in a lot of pain?" Kurt nodded. "Well I'll make a quick adjustment to your pain meds….there you go. I'll see you in a bit." At that, the doctor turned and left the room.

Kurt's head was spinning. Not only was he in an immense amount of pain, he was having trouble wrapping his mind around the fact that he was in the hospital. Again, he whispered, "Dad? What happened?"

Burt sat down in the chair next to Kurt's hospital bed. "You were attacked Kurt. The reason you can only open one eye is because the other is swollen shut. You have four broken ribs, a broken leg and ankle and a broken arm. You also have a pretty nasty head wound." Burt hated being the one to tell Kurt what had happened to him. A gay bashing, a hate crime. In New York, where the people are supposed to be more tolerant, Kurt was the victim of a hate crime. Burt didn't know it at the time but all of the strange noises he was hearing on the phone that horrible afternoon was the sound of two thugs attacking Kurt. Since Kurt's cell phone never lost the connection to Burt, he had the sense to keep that connection open while he called 911 from his house line. He didn't know what the 911 operators in Ohio could do about an emergency in New York but he had to do something. He had never felt so helpless in his life. Finally a stranger picked up Kurt's cell phone and, upon discovering someone was on the other end, told Burt that he'd found some man beaten pretty badly. Burt told the man to call 911. After that it didn't take Burt long to find out which hospital Kurt had been taken to and Burt was on the next flight out. He'd been sitting at Kurt's bedside for four days, willing Kurt to wake up. Now, he finally had.

"Attacked? What do you mean I was attacked?" Oh, Kurt's head was hurting worse. Nothing made sense. He didn't understand any of this.

"What is the last thing you remember?"

"Um, well…I don't know. It's hard to think."

Burt thought he'd try to help him out a little. "Do you remember your meeting with your boss?" Kurt nodded, his face still scrunched up in confusion. "Ok, do you remember talking to me on the phone after your meeting?"

"Yeah, yeah I do. I don't remember anything else though."

"Well that's because you were attacked while you were on the phone with me. I heard the whole thing. Thank God our connection didn't drop. Finally some man stumbled upon you and picked up your phone and told me what happened. I jumped on the first flight and I've been here ever since. You've been out for four days."

Attacked? Unconscious for four days? Broken bones and a head injury? Nothing was making sense. Then all of a sudden something registered in his brain. "I've been out for four days? Oh my God, dad! My job!" Kurt began moving like he was trying to get out of bed.

"Whoa, whoa Kurt. Lay back down. You are in no position to get out of this bed." Kurt started to protest but Burt raised up his hand. "I found the number to your office in your phone. I contacted your boss and informed them of what happened. Several of your co-workers have stopped by. In fact, your father here has met the one and only Rosaline Spencer. Nice lady and she seems fond of your work."

As if on cue the door to Kurt's hospital room opened and in walked Ms. Spencer herself. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to interrupt but it seems Mr. Hummel is finally awake. And I think I heard my name." She still spoke with that niceness in her voice.

"Ms. Spencer, I'm so sorry about all of this. You had just given me the best news of my life and then I'm stuck here. I bet I missed my meeting with Mr. Brewer didn't I?"

"Kurt Hummel! I will accept no such apology. None of this is your fault. You are the victim of a horrible attack. I just stopped by to see how you were doing. We've all been very worried. Please, take all the time you need to recover. Your job is safe and will be waiting for you upon your return."

"Thank you. I'll make sure I get back to work as soon as possible." There was no way Kurt was going to lose his job or this golden opportunity because of some senseless hate crime.

"Kurt, I meant it when I said take as long as you need to recover. Paul looked over your portfolio and he agrees with me about your talent and is looking forward to working with you. Now, that being said, he has your email address and will be sending over some sketches and ideas but you will receive no such email until the doctor…and your father…think you're ready to begin easing yourself back into work. Now, I won't hear another word about it." Kurt had a small smile on his face. "On that note, I'll excuse myself and let you get some rest. Mr. Hummel, it was a pleasure meeting you. Kurt? No rush…take care of yourself." She smiled her million dollar smile and left father and son to themselves again.

"Nice lady, that boss of yours."

"Yeah, I guess I lucked out." Kurt sighed. He was grateful that he could take the appropriate time to recover. The longer he was awake, the more he hurt. Pushing himself might not be the greatest idea. "Dad? I have another question."

"Sure kid, what is it?"

"Does Blaine know what happened to me?"

It was Burt's turn to sigh. "No. No he doesn't. I hate it too because he's called several times. He knew your big meeting was a few days ago and when he didn't hear from you, he called me to see how it went. There was no way I would be able to talk to him without telling him what happened to you. He must be going out of his mind since he can't reach either one of us. Finn's been avoiding him like the plague too. With you still being confused about your feelings for him, it just didn't feel right to tell him without you knowing first."

"Call him. Tell him. I want him here. No, I need him here." Kurt wasn't sure where that came from but he felt it in his bones. He needed Blaine here.

"Sure thing kid. I'll go call him right now. You might want to rest up. Rachel has been here almost as much as I have. She had a performance this afternoon but I'm telling you she'll be back soon and once she sees you're awake, you might not get much rest." Burt chuckled and excused himself to call Blaine. Oh, he was not looking forward to making this call.

* * *

Blaine was in a panic. He'd just heard great news, followed by horrific news, followed up by good news. Kurt's meeting had gone well…very well. Not that Blaine was surprised. But when Burt told Blaine about the attack he got dizzy and felt like he couldn't breathe, he felt his hands shaking and he thought he would pass out and he could swear he felt his heart stop. Kurt was the sweetest, most angelic thing on this planet. How could anyone want to hurt him? Thankfully, he was ok and he was awake and aside from some broken bones and a head injury, he was fine. He was still Kurt. Blaine knew that head injuries could cause altered personalities. He was thanking his lucky stars that Kurt was still Kurt. And he needed him there. Burt said Kurt told him that he needed Blaine there. Blaine would be lying if he said his heart didn't swell when Burt told him that Kurt wanted him there, in New York with him. Wild horses couldn't keep him away.

Blaine was throwing things into a suitcase right after booking a ticket on the next flight to New York when he remembered he needed to call his father and tell him he would be out of town for a bit. Nope, not looking forward to this call.

"What do you want Blaine?" _Well hello to you too dad. What a lovely greeting._

"I just needed to let you know that I need to take some time off. There's been an emergency in New York and I'm heading to the airport in a few minutes."

"Um, no Blaine. I am not approving any time off for you. Doug Speagle's case is in the thick of things and you are needed at the office. And I have to ask, does this New York emergency have anything to do with your little boytoy?" Mitchell Anderson's tone was seeping with condescension.

Blaine was fuming. "First of all, **Dad** , I'm not asking for your approval. Secondly, Speagle doesn't need me. I've been nothing but a glorified intern since the moment you had me working with him. And thirdly, yes, this New York emergency is about Kurt. He was in a horrible accident and he needs me there." Blaine had never really spoken to his father with that much venom in his tone and he wasn't about to tell his father that Kurt had been attacked by two men just because he was gay. He didn't need another lecture about how wrong it is to be gay. Blaine's heard it since he came out to his parents and quite frankly, he was tired of hearing it. He didn't care what his father said. Kurt had asked for Blaine to come and there was no way in hell that Blaine would deny the man he loved his presence in his time of need.

"Blaine! How dare you speak to me like that! I am your father and I will not be spoken to in that manner. I am also your boss, as you seem to be forgetting at the moment. You better have your ass in the office tomorrow morning. I don't care what happened to…your little friend. He has a family that can take care of him. This conversation is over."

"Not yet it isn't. Fuck you! I quit!" Blaine slammed down the phone. Well it seems like part of Blaine's plan had been forced into action. It just made him sick to think that Kurt's suffering was the catalyst.

* * *

Blaine's stomach was doing flip-flops the entire plane ride. He was nervous and excited about seeing Kurt again but it made his sick to think that he was going to visit Kurt in the hospital. After getting some more information from Burt, Blaine learned that the two guys that had beaten Kurt up had not been caught. Blaine knew the NYPD was working the case but honestly Kurt never saw his attackers so the likelihood of any arrests being made was slim to none. Plus, the NYPD had more pressing issues to tend to so Kurt's case would most likely go cold.

Blaine's taxi finally made it to the hospital and he found himself standing outside of Kurt's hospital room. He was trying to take a few deep breaths, preparing himself for what he would see when he walked in the room. Burt had informed Blaine that Kurt looked pretty bad. His face was black and blue with bruises and his left eye was still swollen shut. His entire torso was wrapped due to his broken ribs and he had multiple casts due to his various broken bones. After taking another deep breath, the hospital room door swung open and Rachel Berry came rushing out almost knocking Blaine off his feet.

"Oof! Oh crap! Wow, I'm so sorry…Blaine?!" Rachel took a moment to regain her balance.

"Uh, yeah. Hi Rachel. Long time no see." Blaine was not expecting to see Rachel. He didn't know why. He didn't expect not to see her, he just hadn't given it much thought. He wasn't sure what Rachel would think of him. He was pretty sure that Kurt had told Rachel everything. Would Rachel hate him? He didn't want to be on the receiving end of her wrath. He remembered it well from witnessing it in high school.

"Yeah, long time no see! It's good to see you Blaine. You look good!" Ok, so Rachel didn't seem to hate him. "I would love to stay but I'm already running late for my evening show. Kurt's been waiting for you. But word to the wise? He looks rough…don't tell him that though. You know how he feels about his appearance."

"Yeah, thanks Rachel. Break a leg tonight and I'll see you later." Blaine was kind of glad that she would not be there when he was visiting with Kurt.

"Oh, yeah I'll be seeing you later. We have a few things to chat about mister." With that, she turned and practically ran down the corridor.

_Crap._ Blaine thought to himself. Apparently Rachel did want to discuss what happened.

Blaine took one more deep breath to steady himself, then he slowly pushed the door to Kurt's hospital room open. His breath was caught in his throat when he first looked upon Kurt but not in the way he expected. It wasn't due to the casts or bruises, it was due to how small he looked lying in that hospital bed. Kurt had always appeared larger than life to Blaine. Now, he looked so small and it broke Blaine's heart. It also caused him to fill with rage against those assholes that did this to him. Blaine noticed that Kurt's eyes were closed so he tiptoed into the room, not wanting to wake him. Burt looked up as soon as he noticed Blaine's presence in the room.

"Hey kid, you finally made it." Burt was whispering. "He just fell asleep again. He needs as much rest as he can get. Rachel just left. She wears him out more than she, or even he, realizes. She just left by the way."

"Yeah, we kind of ran into each other in the hall…literally ran into each other." Blaine took a pause. "So, how's he doing? I know I last spoke to you only a few hours ago, but have there been any changes?"

Burt sighed. "Not really. His doctor is really encouraged that he woke up and the only memory loss he has is from the actual attack."

"Thank God for small miracles right?"

"Yeah, I guess. His boss also stopped by and told Kurt to take his time recovering so thankfully he doesn't have to worry about that. You and I both know Kurt would force himself out of that bed if his job was in jeopardy. Really, he just needs rest and lots of it."

"Yeah, yeah, of course Burt. I promise I won't keep him from getting his rest."

"It's good you're here, Blaine. I probably shouldn't be telling you this since he's been confused about his feelings for you but he was certain he wanted you here. Oh, and before he wakes up, try not to say anything about how he looks. He knows he's bruised and obviously his eye is swollen shut but he hasn't seen himself yet."

"No problem. Trust me, I get it. I won't say a word."

"Good. Now that you're here I'm going to run down to the cafeteria and grab some coffee and give Carole a call. Do you want anything?"

"Other than wishing this never happened to Kurt? No, thank you though. I'm just going to sit here with him."

Burt gave Blaine a small smile and exited the room. Blaine turned and pulled the chair right up to Kurt's bed. He gently took Kurt's hand in his own, rubbing his thumb over his knuckles. Blaine didn't think it was possible to love Kurt more than he did before but now, looking at him lying in a hospital bed, Blaine thought his heart would explode with love for this man. The thought of losing him, really losing him, terrified him more than words could express. Blaine told himself in that moment, he would do everything he could to ensure that he never lost Kurt again.

Kurt was somewhere between sleep and being awake. He felt his hand being held. He knew that hand. "Blaine?" His voice came out as a whisper.

Blaine whispered back. "Hi you."

Kurt smiled. "Hi back. You made it."

"There is no place I'd rather be. You need me, I'm here. Always. I love you, remember?"

Kurt smiled again. "So you keep saying."

"And I'll keep saying it." Blaine smiled back at Kurt. "Seriously, how are you?"

"Ugh, it hurts Blaine. It hurts like hell."

"I know Kurt. I know. What can I do? Really, anything."

Kurt looked thoughtful for a moment. "Could you bring me a mirror? I asked my dad earlier but he ignored me. I knew he wouldn't let me see myself no matter how much I begged. But I know you will. You said anything remember?"

Blaine grimaced. "You would ask for the one thing I don't want to do."

"Look, I'm under no delusions about how I must look. I can only see out of one eye Blaine but out of that one eye I can see the bruises on my arms. I can see the casts on my leg and ankle and I can see and feel how tightly wrapped my torso is from my broken ribs. The thing I can't see? My face. My face with one eye swollen shut." Kurt's voice was rising. "My face, that those bastards beat until I laid on the ground unconscious. I could have died, Blaine. I could have fucking died and all I want is to see my fucking face!" Kurt was yelling now.

"Kurt! Kurt! Calm down. You're only going to hurt yourself more. I'll get you a mirror."

Kurt took a deep breath. "Thank you. And I'm sorry for yelling. It's just I don't understand how this could have happened to me. I was in such a good mood and now I'm here in the hospital and everything hurts like hell and I'm yelling at you."

"Kurt, it's ok. I totally understand. I've been there remember?"

"Yeah, your Sadie Hawkins incident. I wish I could have been there for you."

Blaine walked over and handed Kurt a small mirror. "It's ok. We didn't know each other. But just think. If I'd never been hurt, I never would have transferred to Dalton and then I never would have met you. The way I see it, me getting beat up was the best thing to happen to me." Blaine smiled at Kurt.

Kurt took the small mirror out of Blaine's hands. He took a deep breath to steady himself and held the mirror up so he could finally see the damage that had been done. He gasped in horror. His entire face was swollen, not just the one eye. And it was covered in black and blue bruises. There wasn't one ounce of the perfect porcelain skin that he spent so much time taking care of. "Oh My God Blaine! It's worse than I thought! I look like some monster out of a horror movie!" Tears started streaming down Kurt's swollen face, making him grab his ribs from the pain the crying induced.

Blaine rushed to Kurt's side, wiping his tears away with the pad of this thumb. "Kurt, you do not look like a monster. Yes, you've been in a horrible accident and your looks reflect that but nothing on your face is broken. The swelling will go down and the bruises will fade. You will look like your gorgeous self in no time. I promise. Now it's really not good for you to get so worked up. From what I remember about broken ribs is that they hurt worse than a broken leg or ankle and they can take a long time to heal. You really shouldn't do anything to hinder that process."

Kurt's crying had been reduced to sniffling. How did Blaine always know exactly what to say? He suddenly remembered one thing the doctor had said to him earlier while he was running some tests. "Since my eye is swollen shut they haven't been able to exam it yet. They're not sure if there is any damage to it. What if I am permanently blind in that eye Blaine? My entire career could be over before it even starts!" Kurt was starting to cry again.

"Kurt what did I say about getting yourself worked up? We can't worry about something we don't have the answers to. We just need to listen to what the doctor says and take this one day at a time. Ok?"

Kurt had forgotten what a soothing affect Blaine had on him. "We?"

Blaine smiled. "Yes, we. You said you needed me here with you. As far as I'm concerned, we're in this together."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blaine has returned but it's not going to be all sunshine and rainbows. This leads them on a bumpy ride.
> 
> I won't be posting on Sunday due to some prior committments. But, I will post the next chapter on Monday so you won't have to wait too long. 
> 
> I appreciate all of you that are taking the time to read this. Really. :)


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter for your reading pleasure. It's another long one. There's a new character introduced and some of you might not be too thrilled, but it's a necessary evil for Kurt's progression.
> 
> Mistakes are mine.
> 
> Disclosure: I own nothing.

The doctors told Kurt he had to spend another week in the hospital before they would even consider releasing him. He was going stir crazy. Sure, Rachel had been visiting as much as her off-broadway play would allow and his dad was around almost around the clock. Then there was Blaine. Kurt wasn't sure why he was so adamant about having Blaine come to New York following waking up from his accident but he was. There was a part of him that regretted asking for Blaine to come. He had a job and Kurt was sure since Blaine worked for his father getting the time off had probably been a hassle – one that Blaine was sure to pay for once he got back. But there was also a part of Kurt that was so glad for Blaine's presence. He knew exactly what to say when Kurt was feeling down or on the brink of having a meltdown. He was such a reassuring comfort in Kurt's life and that's exactly what he needed right now. Still, Kurt knew that Blaine couldn't stay forever. Blaine had not mentioned one word about work to him and Kurt knew he wouldn't. Blaine would just say that if Kurt needed him then there was nowhere else he'd rather be. Kurt decided to ask his dad about it. Blaine had just left to make a phone call and grab some coffee for himself and Burt.

"Dad?" Kurt grimaced as he shifted in the bed.

"What's up kid? Do you need anything? Do you need me to ask for an adjustment to your pain meds?"

"No, I'm ok right now. I was just wondering…has Blaine mentioned anything to you about his job?"

"Now that you mention it Kurt, no he hasn't."

"Well, he does work for his father and if I remember anything about Mitchell Anderson I'd be willing to bet that Blaine will have to face some major consequences for taking time off of work."

"That may be Kurt but he's only been here for a few days. Don't you think he's earned some vacation time?" Sure, Burt knew that Mr. Anderson could be tough to deal with but Burt couldn't believe that he wouldn't give his own son a few vacation days.

"Dad, Mitchell Anderson doesn't believe in vacation time. Never has, never will." Kurt sighed. "Maybe I shouldn't have been so quick to ask for him to come. I didn't think it through, I just spoke…"

"And you spoke what's on your heart Kurt and your heart wanted Blaine here. Are you sorry that he's here?"

"No…but I would hate to be the reason for making his life more difficult once he goes back home. I made things difficult enough while I was there. I don't know, Dad. I'm still so confused about everything right now. Plus, it's hard to think clearly while I'm drugged up on pain meds." That much was true. Kurt didn't know what he felt for Blaine. It was getting easier to be around him. He didn't feel blinding anger when he looked at him or thought about him or their past. The anger was still there but it was on a slow simmer. Mainly he felt sadness regarding their past. But between mourning for what could have been and the twinge of anger, in addition to Blaine constantly telling Kurt that he loved him…well Kurt was more confused than ever.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. A new voice spoke "Hi, I really hate to interrupt but it's time to rewrap some of the bandages on your ribs."

Kurt groaned. He really hated when they rewrapped his ribs. That always hurt like hell and left Kurt in quite a bit of pain which required more pain meds and that meant he would pretty much be out of it for a few hours. And Kurt was not happy that someone new would be rewrapping his ribs. He had just gotten use to Jeannie doing it. She was his favorite nurse. Kurt turned his head to get a look at this new nurse. _Oh, hello there new hot, male nurse!_

Hot male nurse chuckled. "I guess I should introduce myself first huh?" Kurt could only nod. "My name is Kevin. I'll be filling in for Jeannie. She had to take some emergency leave so she'll be off duty for the next few days. Looks like you'll be stuck with me." Kevin smiled at Kurt and reached out his hand. "You must be Kurt." Kurt shook the man's hand then he turned to look at Burt. "And you are?" Kevin sure did have a flirty tone to his voice.

Burt gave Kevin a once-over. He wasn't sure he liked how he was looking at his son. "I'm Burt Hummel. Kurt's father."

"Well Mr. Hummel, it's nice to meet you." The two shook hands. "I'm sure you already know this, but I'll need a few moments alone with the patient here." He turned and winked at Kurt. Kurt could only stare. It had been a long time since anyone had left him speechless.

"Yeah, sure. I'll be out in the hall." Burt tried to give this Kevin guy his best intimidating father stare that he could. Then he turned to Kurt. "I'll see what I can find out about Blaine's time off. He should be heading back any minute. You know he doesn't like to spend any more time away from you then he has to." Even though Kurt and Blaine's relationship was totally undefined at the moment, it didn't hurt to plant that little seed in Kevin's head. He didn't even know if this Kevin guy was gay but if the way he was looking at Kurt was any indication, Burt would bet that he was.

"Thanks Dad but don't tell him that I was wondering. Really, if he needs to go back I'll completely understand." Kurt really didn't want to be the source of any more difficulty in Blaine's life than he already was.

Blaine was approaching Kurt's room just as Burt walked out into the hallway. Blaine took one look at Burt's face and grew concerned. "What happened? Is everything ok with Kurt?"

Burt shook his head. "No, he's fine. Just getting his ribs rewrapped." Burt decided to leave out the fact that a flirty male nurse was the one doing it and that the nurse had left Kurt mainly speechless.

"Oh, ok. Good. By the look on your face, I thought something had happened." Blaine visibly relaxed.

"Look Blaine. I'm glad we have a few moments to chat. I've been meaning to ask you, how's work going? You didn't have a hard time getting these past few days off have you? I mean, you just jumped on a plane the minute I called you."

Blaine visibly tensed. "There is no place I'd rather be Burt. You know how I feel about your son…how I've always felt about him. I know I screwed up so horribly in the past but I'm not letting that happen ever again. I'm not letting anything get in the way of fighting for him, and that includes my job."

It was Burt's turn to tense up. "What exactly does that mean Blaine? That doesn't sound like your father willingly gave you the time off of work." He took one look at Blaine's face. "He didn't, did he?"

Blaine sighed. "No, he didn't."

"Blaine. I know you love Kurt. And I know you're trying to make up for your past transgressions, but making things more difficult between you and your father is only going to make things worse for you. What kind of trouble are you going to be in when you get home? And when are you planning on going home?"

"I'm not going home. Not anytime soon anyway. I quit my job when my father refused to give me the time off."

"Blaine! You can't just quit your job!" Burt was shocked. Sure, he knew that Blaine loved his son but to quit his job? That was crazy.

"I can and I did Burt. Look I'm not taking any of the blame of what I did to Kurt off of me, but part of that was due to my father. I told you some of the things he was telling me when I didn't get into NYADA. But I don't think you know the half of it. You could never understand because you are a good dad. You would never say the things to Kurt that my father has said to me. And when I told my dad that I needed a few days because of an emergency in New York, he knew instantly that it involved Kurt. And Burt, I felt like I was 18 years old again. I heard all of those horrible things he said to me again and I got angry. I'm not 18 anymore. I'm an adult and I can stand up to my father and make my own decisions. And that's exactly what I did. And I have not a single regret about it."

Burt didn't know what to say. Blaine had grown into such a fine young man. He would be proud to have Blaine in Kurt's life again. He never felt like a match maker but he would do what he could to make Kurt see what he saw. Burt opened his mouth to speak "I get it. I mean, no, I don't completely understand the relationship between you and your father but you deserve happiness and if you're not getting that at work then maybe you should look elsewhere. Have you given any thought to your next step?"

"Actually I have. Don't mention this to Kurt because I don't want to put any additional pressure on him but that phone call I was making? It was to a law firm in the city. Rhodes, Michaelson, & Boothe in downtown Manhattan are looking to bring on some new lawyers. I just had a phone interview with them and they seem impressed. I have an interview with them in person tomorrow afternoon."

"Wow, Blaine. That's great. I hope it goes well for you but I really hope you're not doing this just for Kurt. Things might not turn out exactly how you want them too."

"I know. I have no delusions. I know no matter how hard I fight for Kurt, he might not be able to get over what happened. But this really is such a great move for my career. The pay is better than what my father is paying me and I just need to get out of Ohio. My father is too strong of a presence for me and I need to break free."

"I get it Blaine. Now, how about we go get that coffee for real? Kurt's ribs should be all rewrapped by the time we get back."

* * *

"So, how are we feeling today Kurt? How are the ribs?" Kevin's smile never left his face.

_Your voice, Kurt. Find your voice!_ Kurt cleared his throat. "Um, they're ok. Still pretty tender and it hurts to take deep breaths."

Kevin chuckled. "Yeah, it will continue to hurt for a little while longer. You know, I broke a few ribs back about three years ago. I know it hurts like a bitch." Kevin was very tender and gentle while tending to Kurt. "Your chart says you've been here for about a week and you've been awake for three days. You're making good progress. How's your face? Swelling going down?"

Kurt's hands flew to his face in embarrassment. He'd forgotten how horrible he looked. Here he was, smiling at this hot male nurse, who seemed to be flirting with him, and he looked absolutely horrible! If his face wasn't already discolored due to the bruising, he was sure he'd be bright red from blushing.

Unfortunately, Kevin seemed to pick up on Kurt's embarrassment. "It's ok Kurt. I've seen worse, trust me. Looks like you'll be able to open that other eye in no time, which is good because that eye…" Kevin pointed to Kurt's good, open eye, "is beautiful."

Kurt bashfully answered "Thank you. And yes, I think the swelling is going down some. I'm looking forward to seeing out of both eyes."

Kevin just nodded. "It's a real tragedy what happened to you Kurt. I mean, I don't know why people feel the need to be so mean."

Kurt shifted uncomfortably. He really didn't like talking about his attack. Kurt didn't know if Kevin knew he was the victim of a hate crime but it was obvious he'd been beaten up. Add to the fact that his attackers were still out there roaming the streets…yeah, Kurt didn't like this topic at all.

Again, Kevin picked up on Kurt's feelings. "I'm sorry, I'm sure it's not a comfortable topic for you. Can I tell you a secret?" Kurt nodded. "The reason I had broken ribs? My ex-boyfriend decided to use me as a punching bag one night."

Kurt's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Wow, I'm really sorry. I guess I should be glad my attack was random."

"Eh, it's ok. Like I said that was three years ago and I got the hell out of that relationship." Suddenly, Kevin turned bashful. "You're lucky, according to your father, your boyfriend, who it seems can't stand to be away from you, well…seems like he must be a pretty good guy."

"He's not my boyfriend."

"Oh, well then…good to know." Kevin winked at Kurt once more and continued wrapping Kurt's ribs.

* * *

Ugh, this past week had been almost torture. Kurt desperately wanted to get out of the hospital and go home. He was feeling much better. His ribs still hurt and of course he still had his broken arm, leg and ankle to deal with. The broken leg and ankle would make getting around difficult, but Kurt didn't care. He needed to get out of the hospital. He was going stir crazy. To make things worse, he couldn't distract himself with work. Paul Brewer had not emailed him because as long as he was in the hospital, Ms. Spencer felt like he should be spending that time recuperating, not working. Sure, Kurt was always sketching in his mind, but without knowing Mr. Brewer's vision for his line, Kurt felt like it was fruitless. His one saving grace in this torture place…Kevin, the hot, male nurse.

Blaine wasn't stupid. He could see that Kevin was flirting with Kurt. Of course Blaine could see it. Kevin did it right in front of him. What was wrong with him? I mean, Blaine knew that he and Kurt had not gotten back together, but Blaine felt like things were moving in the right direction. Blaine was constantly at Kurt's bedside, only leaving to change clothes. Blaine and Burt alternated spending the night with Kurt in his room. Blaine was the one that helped Kurt move around when he wanted to get out of bed because having a broken leg and ankle made it hard for Kurt to get around without some type of help. Nearly every single time Kevin entered the room, Blaine was usually touching Kurt in some way, even in the simple way of placing his hand on top of Kurt's. Kevin should be under the impression that Blaine was Kurt's boyfriend, right? Not that it mattered…Kurt would be released from the hospital soon and Kevin would be a thing of the past and Blaine would let Kurt know about his future plans.

Kevin grew more confused every time he went into Kurt's room to check on his patient. Kurt had told him on the day they met that Blaine was not his boyfriend, yet they seemed to have a close relationship. Blaine was very affectionate with Kurt, and Kurt never seemed to discourage Blaine's behavior. Kevin had never questioned the bond that Kurt and Blaine seemed to share. Instead, Kevin enjoyed flirting with Kurt. And Kurt never discouraged Kevin flirting either. What was going on? Kevin knew it was unprofessional to ask Kurt on a date while he was still his patient, but Kurt was going to be discharged the day after tomorrow. Kevin wanted to immediately ask Kurt out. Before he could do that and risk rejection, Kevin knew he had to know exactly how Blaine fit into his life.

Kevin approached the door to Kurt's hospital room. As he got closer, he heard Kurt's beautiful laugh. Kevin peered in the little door window and found Blaine, sitting at the foot of Kurt's bed, rubbing Kurt's foot. They were sharing a laugh. Kurt's father was nowhere to be found. Kevin had had enough. He was going to find out what was going on.

Kevin pushed open the door and smiled big and bright. "Hey there Kurt! How are we feeling today?" Kevin immediately noticed Blaine's face fall and he could have sworn he saw a brief look of disgust pass over his face. Blaine, however, was the perfect gentleman and if a look of disgust did pass over his face, it was gone quickly and he plastered a smile on his face.

Oh, how Blaine hated it when Kevin interrupted when he and Kurt were sharing a genuine moment that was full of smiles and laughter…not tainted with regret of past mistakes or the inhumane way some people treated others. Blaine spoke up before Kurt had a chance, "He's doing much better. It might be time to release him and let him go home and get back to his life."

Kevin chuckled. He could see what Blaine was doing. "Well, that's the doctor's decision. Not mine. Now, if you don't mind Blaine, I need to redress Kurt's ribs."

Blaine knew that was code for 'I want alone time with Kurt'. Blaine decided to challenge this. "I'm sure Kurt won't mind if I stay in the room while you redress his ribs. Besides, won't I need to know how to do it once he's released? And, it's nothing I haven't seen before."

"Blaine!" Kurt spoke for the first time, finding himself a little embarrassed at what Blaine had not so subtly implied. Blaine turned to look at Kurt. "It's ok Blaine, really. Why don't you go and find out why my dad has been gone for so long. He said he was just going to call the shop and make sure everything was running smoothly and he's been gone for almost an hour." You could cut the tension with a knife.

Blaine sighed. He really didn't want to leave. "If that's what you want, I'll go find your dad. You know I'd do anything you asked." Blaine squeezed Kurt's hand as he got off the bed. Kevin had this smug smile on his face when he passed. He hadn't thought about boxing since his brief run as the leader of the Dalton Academy Fight Club, but he desperately wanted to punch that smug smile right off that asshole's face.

Once Blaine had left the room, Kurt looked at Kevin in the eyes. "Sorry about that. He usually thinks things through before he speaks." Kurt sighed. "Anyway, to answer your question, I am feeling much better. I do feel like I'm ready to go home."

"Well what I said to Blaine was true…it's the doctor's decision to release you, not mine. Now, let me see how those ribs are doing." Kurt grimaced as he sat up. "You still seem to be in quite a bit of pain there Kurt. You know you have to be honest with me about how you are really feeling. We haven't done an x-ray in two days. Maybe we should schedule you for another one. If your ribs are not healing properly, we need to know before we send you home before you're ready."

Kurt groaned. "No offense, but I don't want to be here any longer than I have to. I'm ready to go home. I'm ready to get back to work." Kurt paused for a moment, remembering something Blaine had said. "Speaking of home, Blaine's right you know."

"Right about what?"

"Well, he is going to need to know how to change the dressing on my ribs once I get released, right?"

Kevin didn't like the implication that Kurt was putting out there. "Well, I thought I'd show your father today, but he isn't here so…" Kevin let the sentence trail off.

"You really don't like him, do you?"

"Who? Blaine?"

"Yeah."

Kevin sighed. He knew he needed to know what was going on between those two. Kevin had no claim on Kurt. It was just a crush that Kevin desperately hoped would develop into something more. "It's not that I don't like him, Kurt. It's just that I don't know him or what you two mean to each other…"

Kurt interrupted him, "I told you he's not my boyfriend."

"I know that's what you told me but does he know that? I feel like he's trying to claim you. I mean, he would cock his leg and piss on you to mark you as his territory if he could."

Kurt had hoped that he would be able to get through this hospital stay without trying to explain his relationship with Blaine. How was he going to answer this? "I'm going to be completely honest with you Kevin."

"Ok."

"Blaine is my ex-boyfriend. We were high school sweethearts. He's a year younger than me and when I first came to New York he was still in his senior year in high school. Let's just say that mistakes were made and we weren't very successful at a long distance relationship so we broke up about six months after I moved."

"Well that had to have been years ago Kurt. I'm more curious as to what's going on now."

Kurt really didn't want to give too many details. He would just tell Kevin what he needed to know. "Blaine is a lawyer and my Dad hired him for an issue with his business. I went back recently to visit my Dad in Ohio and ran into Blaine. It was the first time we'd seen each other since we broke up."

That surprised Kevin a little. "You hadn't seen each other since you broke up? That doesn't sound like it ended on amicable terms."

"It didn't. But I don't want to get into the details of what happened." Kurt sighed. "Seeing him again did stir up some old feelings for both of us. And you're not totally wrong in how you're reading Blaine. He seems to think that we can have a future again. He wants to try to fight for us."

"And you?"

Kurt rubbed his temples. "I'm not sure." Kurt could see the slight disappointment in Kevin's face. "I just don't know if I can forgive him and get past what happened. I don't know if I want to try. Sometimes things with Blaine are just so exhausting. I might be too tired to fight."

"So he did something wrong? To cause your break up?" Kevin tensed. "I knew there was something about him that was more than just my jealousy of him fawning over you."

"Kevin, Blaine is not a bad guy. We were so young when our relationship went terribly wrong. And, I am not blameless in this either. We both made mistakes and we were too immature and had too much pride to take a good, long look at our relationship. If we had, maybe we could have saved it."

"Do you think you would still be together if you had?"

"Absolutely" Kurt answered without a moment of hesitation.

Now it was time for Kevin to be honest. "Look Kurt. I like you. I know it is totally unprofessional for me to tell you that. I'm still your nurse and you're still my patient. But I was hoping maybe we could go on a date or something once you've been released. But having said that, I'm not sure I want to get in the middle of whatever is going on between you and your ex. Clearly things are unresolved between the two of you."

Kurt smiled. "I like you too Kevin. Talking to you and yes, flirting with you the past few days has been really refreshing. Like I said, things with Blaine are so exhausting and maybe a fresh start with someone new is exactly what I need. Besides, Blaine doesn't even live in New York. He lives in Ohio. That just complicates everything. My life is about to get pretty busy and complicated for me professionally. I don't want complicated in my personal life. I want simple. I want easy. I want fun. And, I want to go on a date with you."

Kevin's smile was so big and bright. "Well then. Ok."

"So Kevin, how about you get to wrapping my ribs and then see what you can do about convincing the doctor to spring me from this joint."

* * *

Blaine finally found Burt in the chapel of all places. "Burt? You know Kurt is fine right? What are you doing in the chapel?"

Burt looked a little startled. "Oh, Blaine. You scared me. I wasn't praying for Kurt. I have something else on my mind." Burt really wanted Kurt to find happiness outside of his career. Burt would be even happier if that happiness included Blaine. "So, what brings you here, kid?"

"Kevin showed up to redress Kurt's ribs." Burt could hear the distain in Blaine's voice. "I tried to stick around. You know, I figured I'd need to know how to do it once Kurt gets released."

"Huh, I hadn't thought about that. I guess he will need some help won't he?"

"Yeah, but he kicked me out." Blaine shook his head, and then bent over to place his head in his hands. "I know we're not where I'd like us to be but we've been getting so much closer. I felt like we were taking steps forward but now…I can't explain it Burt, but I feel like I'm losing him."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next update will be on Sunday. Unless I can sneak another one in earlier. I make no promises though.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long chapter ahead...Ok, I know there are those out there that are really not happy with Kurt and unfortunately this chapter will bring out the same feelings. I'm sorry! I promise a Klaine happy ending but we need a little angsty drama first. Stay with me! It will get better!
> 
> Mistakes are all mine.
> 
> Disclaimer - I own nothing.

Ah D-Day! Kurt was finally getting released from the hospital. His first task would be to call Ms. Spencer and let her know that he would love to receive an email from Paul Brewer and get started on working again. His second task? Getting in touch with Kevin and figuring out when they would go on their first date. His third task? Talking to Blaine. That was going to be the hardest. Although Kurt had asked his dad to figure out what was going on with Blaine's job, Burt had given Kurt zero details. Kurt thought that would be the best place to start the conversation. After all, if Blaine was heading back to Ohio soon, maybe he wouldn't have to tell him his date with Kevin right away.

"Dad! Blaine! Where have you two been? I was officially discharged 15 minutes ago! I'm ready to get the hell out of here!"

Burt could only laugh. "Sorry Kurt. Blaine and I were pulling the car around. We didn't want to wheel you clear through the parking lot."

"Well geez, did it take the both of you? Blaine could have been wheeling me down to the exit. The sooner I get out of here, the happier I'll be."

Honestly, Burt could have pulled the car around by himself but Blaine needed a few minutes alone with Burt. Blaine had received word from Rhodes, Michaelson, & Boothe and found out they had in fact hired him! Blaine was beyond excited. Part of his dream was coming true. He now has a job in New York, he's been perusing the classified ads looking for an apartment and he hasn't heard one word from his father (which Blaine considered great news). The only thing left was winning Kurt back. Burt had promised Blaine that once they got Kurt settled in his apartment he would run some errands and give Blaine some alone time with Kurt so he could tell him about his new job and consequent move to New York.

Burt held the wheelchair steady while Blaine helped Kurt from the bed and into the chair. Blaine was pleasantly surprised that Kevin was not around. With the way Kevin has been hovering, Blaine figured there was no way that Kevin would miss Kurt leaving. For some reason this fact left Blaine with an uneasy feeling. He tried to push that feeling away and focus on telling Kurt his exciting news. He really hoped that Kurt would be happy for him. Time would tell.

About 30 minutes later the three had successfully managed to get Kurt settled on his couch with his laptop in his hands. Blaine found it amusing that Kurt wanted to jump straight into work. Amusing but not surprising.

"Listen kid, I've got a couple of errands to run. I'll be back in a little while."

Kurt looked at his dad with a puzzled look on his face. "What kind of errands do you need to run? You've been staying at my place since you got here. I know for a fact that the fridge is fully stocked. What could you possibly need?"

"Uh, well, I, uh just need to pick up a few things."

Kurt turned to look at Blaine. "Do you know what's going on?"

Blaine sighed. "I asked Burt to give us some time alone. I wanted to talk to you for a bit."

This made Kurt a little uneasy. He knew that he needed to tell Blaine about his upcoming date with Kevin and he knew it would hurt Blaine. Kurt didn't want to hurt Blaine but he just didn't feel like their stars were aligning. Blaine belonged back in Ohio, being the perfect lawyer and Kurt belonged in New York, becoming the most successful fashion designer ever.

Burt cleared his throat. "Well, on that note, I'll get out of your hair. Call me if you need anything." Burt turned and left the apartment.

Blaine began pacing Kurt's apartment…taking in the ambiance for the first time. "You've got a really nice place Kurt. It's very…you."

"Thank you. Although I have a feeling that you didn't ask my dad to leave just so you could compliment me on my apartment. So, spill it Blaine."

"You're right. I'm just going to say it. I would appreciate it if you would let me say everything I want to say before you comment."

Kurt just nodded.

Blaine took a deep breath. "Ok, first I thank God everyday that you came back into my life. I feel like that damn mini-mall lawsuit involving your dad was fate's way of bringing you back into my life so I could atone for my past sins. I know that you might never forgive me for telling you I cheated on you when I didn't. Our lives could be very different if I had only trusted you and our relationship instead of listening to my father. Having said that, being able to spend time with you in Ohio helped me to see that I've been living my life on auto-pilot…which is not really living at all." Blaine paused momentarily, trying to gather his thoughts.

"Am I still supposed to remain quiet?" Kurt was a little nervous as to where all this was going.

Blaine laughed. "Yes, not quite done yet. Listen Kurt, I've been up to a few things since coming to New York last week. I had a revelation that I do not want to work for my father anymore. When I got the call from your dad that you'd been hurt I called my father to tell him that I needed to take a few days off from work. It's not like they really need me anyway. After your dad's case was settled my father put me back essentially into intern status. I was doing grunt work for my father's right hand man."

"Oh wow, I'm sorry Blaine." Kurt offered Blaine a small smile. "Oops, sorry! Not talking."

Blaine smiled back. "It's ok. Anyway, my father refused to give me the time off work. So…I quit…"

"You quit?!" Kurt interrupted. "Sorry, I know I'm supposed to let you finish, but you quit your job?"

"Yes, I quit my job. Kurt, I was miserable. Every single day I was miserable. I wasn't aware of how miserable I was until I saw you again. Well, to get to the point, I scored an interview with a local law firm here in the city. I did a phone interview and then three days ago I had a second interview in person. I found out yesterday that they've offered me the job."

Kurt's apartment fell silent. "Kurt? You can talk now."

"Did you accept the job?"

Blaine couldn't read Kurt's expression. He wasn't sure if Kurt was happy or mad that Blaine had been offered a job in New York. "Yes, I did accept the job." Silence again. "Look, I found out that the thugs that attacked you haven't been caught. Don't you want to find out who did this to you? I do and I can help you in a professional capacity by being here." Neither one of them were stupid or naïve enough to believe that that was the only reason Blaine took a job in New York.

"You're not a prosecutor, Blaine."

"No, you're right I'm not and they know that. But, they were impressed with my education and my drive and passion. They are giving me a chance to prove myself. Which is more than my father will ever give me. They're going to mentor me. They're going to put me on real cases, doing real work and hopefully I'll be able to have my own cases soon. Plus, the salary was pretty hard to say no to." Blaine chuckled at that last part. He was met with silence again. "Kurt? Say something."

Kurt didn't know what to say so he said the first thing that came to his mind. "I'm going on a date with Kevin." Shit! That wasn't how he wanted Blaine to hear that.

"Oh." That wasn't what Blaine was expecting to hear.

"Shit, I'm sorry Blaine. I didn't want to tell you like that. It's just that you sprung all of this on me and the only thing I could think was that you were doing all of this for me. Are you doing all of this for me?"

Yes! Yes! I'm doing all of this for you! Because I still love you! Of course Blaine only said "Not totally."

"Blaine, I'm sorry that you've been miserable. And I'm sorry that working for your father has been a horrible experience for you and I'm happy for you that you're getting a chance to better yourself and actually find happiness in your career. And I know I've been giving you mixed signals. I shouldn't have slept with you in Ohio and I shouldn't have asked you to come rushing to New York when I got attacked. It wasn't fair to you."

Blaine hung his head. "You're never going to forgive me are you?"

"No, actually I do forgive you."

Blaine scoffed. "It sure doesn't feel like it. I know I fucked up and I will regret the decision I made for the rest of my life and I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive myself. But please don't say that what happened in Ohio was a mistake. Please don't say you regret asking me to come to your bedside when you were injured. You have to know there was no place else I would have rather been."

Kurt sighed heavy. "I do forgive you Blaine. I promise you, I forgive you. Life is too short to hold on to anger and bitterness. Honestly, I think I forgave you the moment I heard your voice on my dad's phone that night – cheating or no cheating. I missed you, and I didn't know how much until then. First and foremost, we were friends before anything else. And I missed that friendship. And ok, I won't say that sleeping with you was a mistake, because it wasn't. I think that I started to think about what it would be like to be with you again – as in, be your boyfriend. And I just…I can't do it. I care about you. And yes, a part of me will always love you. But now that you're back in my life, I don't want to lose you again…"

"Kurt…" Blaine interrupted. "…you're never going to lose me again. I love you. I mean that when I tell you that. And I meant it when I said I'd fight for you. Please, please don't go on a date with Kevin. Please, one date with me. One date to show you what we could be – not to remind you of what we were." Blaine hadn't realized that he'd begun to cry.

"I'm really sorry, Blaine. All I can give you is friendship. I just …I can't give you more than that."

Blaine wiped a tear from his cheek. "This wasn't how this conversation was supposed to go. But I suppose after what I did to you, after how I lied to you, I deserve this."

"Stop that." Kurt leaned forward and grabbed Blaine's hands. "You deserve happiness. I really am happy that you got this new job to look forward to. I know you'll do great. And if I know you, you'll be the one to singlehandedly put the bastards that did this to me away. But don't pin your happiness on me. You are going to love New York and you are going to find someone…I know you will."

"I don't want anyone else. You are the love of my life, Kurt."

"Blaine…"

Just then the front door opened and Burt came through the door. "Hey boys. How's it going…?" At that point Burt noticed the tension in the room and he noticed Blaine had been crying.

"I'm sorry, I've got to get out of here." Blaine stood up and walked out without saying another word.

Kurt turned to look at his dad. "You knew about this didn't you? You knew he got a job here and you knew he did it just to get close to me."

"Yes Kurt I did but Blaine asked me not to tell you and…"

"And nothing Dad! You should not have let him spring this on me! You should have warned me! Do you know I have a date with Kevin? Did you know that?"

"What?" That took Burt by surprise. "No, Kurt I didn't know that. I didn't even know that you were interested in Kevin."

"Whatever, Dad! You knew that we were flirting with each other. You're not blind. I know you saw it. Blaine? I can understand how he missed it, what with his dreaming of us getting back together and stuff but you? Wait. No. Not you…"

"Not me what?"

"You have been encouraging Blaine haven't you? You want us to get back together just as much as he does don't you?"

"Kurt, I want you to be happy. And I think Blaine is a great young man. I know that you have some past issues to work out but I think that you two could be good together."

Kurt sighed. "Dad, Blaine is a good man and I forgive him for what happened. Really, I do. But I don't want a relationship with a past hanging over me. I want something simple and easy and fun. Mostly, I want something new. I just don't feel like Blaine and I can go back. Now I am going to support him in his new job but I'm going to tell you what I told him. I can't offer him anything more than friendship. I need you to support me on this Dad."

"You know I'll support you on everything, son. Ultimately, I want you to be happy and if it's with Kevin and not Blaine…well then, I'll support that too. Just remember what I told you in high school…you matter, Kurt. Just make sure that you matter to Kevin too."

"Thanks, Dad. Now, if you don't mind, I'm kinda tired with just getting out of the hospital and all this other stuff. I'd like to take a nap."

"Sure thing, kid."

* * *

No matter how much he tried Blaine couldn't stop the tears from flowing. The people on the subway were looking at him like he was weird. Seriously? This is New York, most people here were weird. Finally, he made it back to his hotel. He slammed the door shut and sank down to the floor and really let the sobbing begin. That was not how that conversation was supposed to go. Sure, he thought there was a chance that Kurt would be a little apprehensive about Blaine moving to New York but he never, ever thought his response would be that he was going to go on a date with Kevin. That would explain why Kevin was not at the hospital when Kurt was released this morning.

A knock on his hotel door brought him out of his thoughts. "No thanks. I don't need service today."

"Blaine? It's Burt. Open the door please."

Blaine stood up and pulled the door open. "Burt? What are you doing here?" Blaine wiped the remaining tears from his eyes.

"Kurt told me about the talk you two had. Didn't go very well, huh?"

"Ha, that's the understatement of the year." Blaine sighed. "I don't know what I was expecting. I know I wasn't expecting him to tell me he has a date with someone else. I can't even believe it."

"Yeah. I'm sorry about that kid. I would have warned you if I had known. Actually, he was pretty mad that I didn't warn him about what you had going on. Maybe if I had, we could have avoided some of this."

"It just would have spared me from the embarrassment of rejection. It wouldn't have spared me the heartbreak." Blaine rubbed his temples. "Really, though. What are you doing here, Burt? Shouldn't you be with Kurt?"

"He was a bit worn out after your talk and then reading me the riot act. He's sleeping. I won't be gone long. I just wanted to check and see how you were doing. I know you suffered a bit of a blow. Despite all of the history between you and Kurt, you came through for me and my shop Blaine. I care about you. And despite what you might think, Kurt does too."

"Yeah he cares…like a friend. I don't want to be friends. I love him Burt. I don't think I can just go back to being friends with him."

"I shouldn't be telling you this but what the hell? Kurt told me he just feels like he wants something simple right now. Apparently there's an attraction between him and this Kevin guy and he thinks that that will be will simple and easy, whereas things between the two of you are quite a bit more complicated. Between what's going on for him at work and dealing with his attack, he just wants simple. But if I'm being honest Blaine? I don't think that will make him truly happy. Give him some time to process everything. I'll think he'll come back to you."

"Thanks. It means a lot for you to say that."

"One more piece of advice though?"

"Sure."

"Don't wait around for him. I know that might seem like a contradiction to what I just said but we both know that Kurt can be stubborn. He could decide to forgo his own true happiness in favor of his pride. I mean, I'd love for you two to find your way back to each other but you deserve to be happy, and if you find it somewhere else, grab on to it."

"Thanks Burt. I think my new job is going to keep me pretty busy and hopefully, distracted. Besides, I don't think I'll ever find happiness with anyone other than Kurt."

"Well only time will tell, Blaine. He knows how you feel. And, he knows how I feel."

"Wait, what? Did you tell Kurt he should get back together with me?"

"Trust me, he knows how I feel. But you should know that I also told him that I would support whatever decision he makes. And I will. He's my son, Blaine. It's my job to love and support him no matter what he does." Burt said.

"I know, I get it. So…when are you planning on heading back to Lima?"

"Uh, I don't really know. I need to get back to the shop but Kurt still needs help getting around and he still needs someone to rewrap his ribs every other day. I was hoping things would be a little different so…"

"So I could be the one helping him?" Blaine interrupted.

"Yeah."

Blaine sighed. "Look Burt, I'm not totally happy with the way things are with Kurt and I right now but if you need to get back to Ohio, I can take care of him. I don't want to just be friends with him but who knows? Maybe being with him and helping him get better will remind him of what we could be together. Besides, I'm sure Rachel will be willing to help too. Just let me know when it's a good time and I'll stop over so you can show me exactly what I need to do."

"Ok. On that note, I should get back. I'll be in touch."

Blaine shut and locked the door behind Burt. This afternoon sucked. He needed to turn it around some way and the only thing he could think of was to start getting his life put together. First order of business? Find a place to live so he could get out of this hotel.

* * *

Kurt woke up to someone knocking on the door and a crick in his neck. The crick in his neck he could explain…he'd fallen asleep on his couch. Never a good idea. The knocking? "Dad?" Knocking again. "DAD?" No answer. Knocking again. "Come in!"

The door to his apartment creaked open and Rachel poked her head in. "Hey Kurt. I've got a little bit before I need to be at the theater and I knew you were getting released today so I thought I'd stop by. Is this a good time?"

"Yeah, I think so. I have no idea where my dad is though. Wait, I bet I do." Kurt sighed. "Something tells me he went to see Blaine."

"Ok, by that tone I'd say something was going on there. What is it?"

"Get this…Blaine quit his job to come sit with me in the hospital."

"What? He quit his job just so he could be here while you recuperated?" Rachel was surprised.

"Yeah, crazy right?"

"Well, maybe a little. But I also think it's a bit romantic. He obviously still cares very much for you."

"Stop calling him romantic…I can't deal. Plus, there's more."

Rachel found herself intrigued. "I'm listening."

"He got a job here. In the city."

"Here? That's great, right?" Kurt shot Rachel a look. "That's not great?"

"No, Rachel. That's not great. Do you remember a few days ago when you came by the hospital and met my new nurse?"

"Yeah, he was hot."

"And gay."

Rachel sighed. "Oh…I think I'm beginning to sense what's going on here."

"Yeah. Long story short, he asked me out on a date."

"And you didn't want Blaine to find out?"

"I was going to tell him." Rachel shot Kurt a look this time. "I was, Rachel. I was just hoping he'd be back in Ohio when I did. But then he dropped the bomb that he's moving here and I just blurted it out."

"Ouch. I take it he didn't take it well."

"About as well as you would expect him to."

"Can I ask you something?"

Kurt sighed. He didn't think he'd like where this was going. "Sure, if you must."

"How do you feel about Blaine? Really? Are you still angry with him? Have you forgiven him? And what's with the nurse? Are you trying to get back at Blaine or something?"

"I'm not trying to get back at Blaine. I honestly didn't know he'd quit his job and was moving here. Kevin's nice. And he seems like fun and my life is about to get very complicated. What's wrong with having a fun, easy relationship?"

"Kurt, I know you. You don't date a lot. All of a sudden Blaine's back in your life and you just have to date the first gay guy that flirts with you? Despite you thinking he'd be back in Ohio, admit it…there's a part of you that knew this would upset Blaine."

"God! Why is everyone taking Blaine's side? He broke up with me! He lied to me! I'm allowed to move on!" Kurt was angry now.

"Calm down Kurt. I'm not taking Blaine's side. I'm on your side. But you slept with him while you were in Ohio. I thought you'd forgiven him."

"I have Rachel. I'll tell you what I told him. Sleeping with him made me think about what it would be like if we were together again. But I cant go back. I cant live in the past. And I don't want to. I want to move on into my future and right now, that consists of a friendship with Blaine and a date with Kevin."

"Ok, whatever you say. I'm on your side. So, what's going on with this…?" Rachel pointed to Kurt's casts and wheelchair.

"Well the broken leg and ankle make it difficult to get around. I could use crutches but with my ribs still healing they'd rather I use the wheelchair. It's ok though. Ms. Spencer is ok with me working from home for the time being so I won't need to be venturing outside very often. The ribs still need to be rewrapped every other day though. The doctor says that it's important to keep the wrap tight because that aids in the healing."

"So how long will you need to keep the ribs wrapped?"

"Um, not sure. It will all depend on what the doctor says when I go back for my follow-up."

"So what? Is your dad staying here indefinitely?"

Kurt thought for a second. "You know, we haven't really talked about it."

As if on cue, Burt walked back into Kurt's apartment. "Oh hey Rachel. I didn't know you'd be stopping by today."

"Hi Burt. I had some time to kill before going to the theater so I thought I'd check on Kurt. I hope it's ok."

"Of course it's ok. You're his best friend. I'm actually glad you're here."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, hey listen Kurt, I need to start thinking about getting back to Ohio but I know you're still going to need help with getting around and making sure your ribs are wrapped properly. I thought Rachel could help with that."

"Yeah, totally, I'll help out with that Burt."

"I thought Blaine could help out, too."

"Absolutely not!" Kurt exclaimed.

"Kurt! You need someone else to help you. You can't expect it all to fall on Rachel."

Rachel spoke up before Kurt could say anything else. "It's no problem, Burt. I can handle it."

"Yeah, but you shouldn't have to. Kurt, Blaine is here and he wants to help."

"Well you didn't ask me what I wanted. And I don't want Blaine helping. The sooner we put a little separation between us, the better. It would be way too awkward to have him rewrap my ribs. Boundaries, Dad. Don't disrespect my boundaries." Kurt noticed the look on his dad's face. "Don't say you haven't. I know you were with Blaine just now. And, I'm guessing you've already discussed this with him."

"Like I said, he wants to help."

"Well since you were the one to discuss it with him, you should be the one to tell him that between Rachel and Kevin, I'll be just fine." Kurt knew he was acting like a petulant child at the moment. But he'd be damned if he let anyone else try to tell him how to live is life...and who to live it with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ouch. Please don't hate me! Kurt is aware of how he's acting, but he's very prideful. But I promise it will get better! The next chapter will deal with Blaine beginning his new job and Kurt's date with Kevin. Ooh, what will happen??
> 
> Apparently I'm bad at updating during the week. I know I keep saying I'll try and it never happens so I wouldn't expect the next chapter until next Sunday.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Saturday update! Yay! It's coming a day early because I won't be around tomorrow...SuperBowl Sunday.
> 
> I don't really have any notes for this - long - chapter. I'm gonna let it speak for itself.
> 
> Mistakes are all mine.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

The next two weeks passed in a blur. Blaine had started his new job and was loving it. The other lawyers were so nice and accommodating. That actually surprised him a little bit…this being New York and all, Blaine thought it might be a dog-eat-dog kind of world. Despite the fact that he had not spoken to Kurt since the day he was released from the hospital, Blaine still wanted to find the guys that attacked Kurt. After spending two weeks getting the lay of the land and getting settled in his office, Blaine approached Mr. Rhoades, the top dog of the firm, one rainy morning.

"Good morning Mr. Rhoades."

"Blaine, please, I said to call me Noah."

"Yes, you're right…Noah. Good morning."

"And good morning to you as well. Did you see that I placed some of the firm's convictions from the past two years on your desk?"

"Yes, I did. I look forward to looking through all of it. But I do have a question." Blaine was a little hesitant.

"Ok, what is it?"

"Do you remember reading in the paper about a month ago a story about a young man being attacked about two blocks outside of Chinatown?"

"Hmmm, yes I believe I do remember that. Why do you ask?"

"Well that young man? I know him. And his attackers were never caught."

"Ah, I see, Blaine. You want to ride to the rescue and bring his attackers to justice. Am I right?"

Blaine sighed. "I'm an easy read."

"Blaine, I admire your desire to go after someone that attacked your friend. If I recall, it was a hate crime, yes?" Blaine nodded. "But what I don't recall is there being any witnesses. Where do you propose to start?" Noah Rhoades admired Blaine's drive. That was just one of the reasons that he hired him despite all of his background being in corporate law.

"Well that's where the press got it wrong. There was one witness. Kurt Hummel…that's the victim's name…was on the phone with his father when he was attacked. He dropped his phone but the call was never disconnected. Another young man, Liam Newman, picked up Kurt's phone and told his father that his son had been attacked and he was calling 911. The press never reported that because, despite how liberal New York is, it was a hate crime and NYPD didn't give it much attention. I'm not even sure if Liam Newman was even interviewed about what he might have seen."

"Ok. I'll tell you what Blaine. You push those convictions on your desk to the side and go find this Liam Newman and talk to him. See if he does know anything. See if it's a place we can start. If it is, I'll make sure to personally help you bring those assholes to justice."

Blaine smiled the biggest smile he had in weeks. "Thank you so much! I'll let you know what I find out!"

"Oh Blaine? One more thing. Do I remember reading in your records about you being a performer in high school?"

Blaine blushed. "I was in the glee club at both Dalton Academy and McKinley High. Why do you ask?"

"Were you any good?"

"Well we won Nationals my junior year at McKinley."

"Well every Friday night a bunch of us like to go down to this little place, Bleakers, for open mic night. Do you think that's something you might be interesting in joining us in?

Blaine had left his performing days behind him. But his new boss was inviting him to join the other lawyers for a night out. He didn't really feel it was in his best interest to say no…especially since he'd been given the green light to work on Kurt's case. "Sure. I'd love to."

* * *

Kurt was happy. That was what he was telling himself anyway. He'd been out of the hospital for two weeks. Rachel was a godsend when it came to redressing his ribs. And he and Kevin had already been out on two dates. Things seemed to be going well for the two of them. They didn't really have that much in common but opposites attract, right? It was nice because it was simple and easy. Which is exactly what he wanted. Kurt would have enjoyed if their goodnight kiss on each of their dates had been slightly better, but nerves and all made them a little awkward. At least that's what he was telling himself – it was nerves and not who he was attempting to kiss, right?

Burt had gone back to Ohio the day after he got released, the day after he told Blaine that Kurt wouldn't be needing his assistance after all. Burt wouldn't tell Kurt the details of the conversation – only that Blaine's feelings were hurt. Well that much Kurt knew. He hadn't talked to Blaine since he'd stormed out, which was odd because Kurt was usually the one that did the storming out. Kurt didn't know how his new job was going, or where he was staying. The only connection he still had to Blaine was his phone number. And Kurt couldn't be sure he hadn't changed his Ohio number to a New York number.

Kurt was still working from home since his ribs had not completely healed yet. The doctors still wanted him using the wheelchair rather than the crutches and at this point, Kurt felt like his broken ankle and leg would heal before his ribs did. With the help of email and Skype, Kurt was able to converse with Paul Brewer quite often and the office had delivered a scanner so Kurt could scan his sketches and email them to the office. It was working quite well. Of course it would be better if he were in the office, he still felt like he was missing out on so much. But at least he still had his job.

Kurt was working from his couch when the phone rang. Caller ID indicated Kevin was on the other end. Kurt smiled. "Hey, what's up?"

"Oh, just checking in. How are you feeling today?"

"Kevin, I'm not your patient anymore, remember?" This slightly annoyed Kurt. It seemed like Kevin was always Nurse Kevin and never Just Kevin.

"I know…I was just asking."

"Sorry if I seem on edge. I'm just working on some designs. Mr. Brewer wants something cutting-edge by Friday."

"Well that sounds like you could probably stand to let out some steam Friday night then and I know just the thing. That is if you're interested in going out with me again."

"Yes, I would love to blow off some steam Friday night. What did you have in mind?"

"Well I know this little place where a lot of stuck-up suit and tie types like to go and sing at this open mic night. It's hilarious. These guys think they're awesome when in reality, they're better off sticking with the suits and ties. What do you say?"

Well this would be the moment Kurt remembered he and Kevin had never really discussed in great detail their high school moments. If they had, Kevin would have known that Kurt had been in the glee club and he probably never would have suggested making fun of people at an open mic night. "Kevin, I'm not sure that's the best idea. I mean, I'm still in a wheelchair. Our first two dates were awkward enough and that was just dinner."

"Ah, but I have good news. I just bugged the doctor to let me see your latest x-rays from two days ago. Your ribs are almost healed. You can use crutches now! You have no excuse to turn me down. And trust me, you don't want to miss this. Me and a few buddies of mine like to go every now and then and these guys…hilarious. Come on, you're stressed out about your designs and I think this will be the perfect thing to put this long week behind us."

"Ok, fine. Count me in." Kurt had a bad feeling about this.

* * *

Friday night rolled around and Blaine was actually looking forward to going to Bleakers with his co-workers. The week had been good. He was having a little trouble trying to reach Liam Newman, but he was not giving up hope. He felt like something good was right around the corner.

Blaine arrived at Bleakers just after 9pm. Mr. Rhoades was there… _Noah, call him Noah_ …along with Landry Smith, Rick Johnson, Alex Michaelson, and Carter Robertson.

"Blaine! Yo, get your ass over here!" That would be Landry Smith. He was the party boy of the group. Straight-laced as could be in the office but once he stepped outside of that firm, look out. You never knew what he would be up to.

Blaine approached their table. Noah and Alex were drinking martinis but everyone else had beer. As their waitress walked by, Blaine ordered a beer and sat down. This place was a bit of a dive. Blaine was surprised that these seemingly upscale attorneys would frequent a place like this. Everything seemed dark and dingy, with even the vinyl on the stools and booths ripped.

"So, Blaine…" That would be Landry again. "…what are you planning on singing tonight?"

"Wait, what? Me sing? I wasn't planning on singing anything."

"Oh no, you have to sing something. Noah here tells us you were quite the performer back in high school. This is something we must see. Besides, we've already signed your name up."

Shit! What the hell was Blaine going to do now? He hadn't performed in years. He hadn't had the desire to perform in years. He took a quick look up on the stage. At least there was a piano. Surely he could think of something. Right?

* * *

Kurt and Kevin got out of the cab at Bleakers around 9:30. They had gone to a late dinner where Kurt told Kevin that he'd managed to come up with something cutting-edge and that Mr. Brewer loved it. He had also told Ms. Spencer that he was out of his wheelchair and even though he was on crutches, he was coming into the office starting on Monday. Kurt didn't understand why they needed to go to this dive of a bar. It was getting late, but Kevin insisted that the good stuff never happened until 10pm anyway and even though Kurt was getting tired, this would totally be worth it. Kurt was beginning to doubt that.

When they entered the bar, the smell of smoke almost took his breath away. Kurt wanted to sit near the door…at least that way he could get some fresh air anytime some came in or left, but Kevin insisted they sit near the stage. "Kurt, you've got to see these guys up close" was Kevin's constant reply. They sat down at a small high-top just to the left of the stage. Kevin flagged the waitress over so they could order some drinks. She approached the table and Kevin ordered beer while Kurt asked for a white wine. The waitress just gave him a funny look before walking away…apparently white wine is too high class for a place like this.

She returned a few moments later. "Here you go boys. Bud Light and a white wine. Let me know if you need anything else. My name is Heather." As she turned to leave, her foot caught on one of Kurt's crutches and she went tumbling to the floor, screaming on her way down.

* * *

Blaine and his co-workers were really having a great time. Blaine had decided to sing Piano Man as he figured that this kind of crowd would love that song. Suddenly, there was a crashing sound followed by a woman screaming. Blaine, along with everyone else in the bar, turned toward the direction the sound had come from. Fuck! While everyone else was focused on the waitress that had fallen, Blaine could only notice the person at that particular table. Kurt. And he was not alone. Kevin was with him. This is not good. Blaine needed to get out of there and get out of there fast. Blaine hadn't laid eyes on Kurt since Kurt got out of the hospital and he certainly didn't want Kurt seeing him for the first time in weeks up on a stage, performing Piano Man of all things. Blaine was just about to gather his belongings when…

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Bleakers Friday mic night. First up, please welcome to the stage, Blaine Anderson."

Blaine froze while his co-workers were cheering and slapping him on the back. It was no secret to anyone in the bar exactly where Blaine was sitting. He chanced a look in Kurt's direction. Kurt and Kevin had a shocked look on their face. Apparently that was the emotion going around.

Well, shit. He couldn't just walk out. What now? What now? Blaine walked slowly to the stage thinking. He couldn't sing Piano Man. There had to be something else. He sat down at the piano and knew he needed to say something. "Um, hi. I'm Blaine Anderson and I guess I'm going to sing something for you. So, here we go." Without really thinking it through, he sang the first song that came to mind:

_Another shot of whiskey please bartender_  
Keep it coming til I don't remember at all  
How bad it hurts when you're gone (na na na)

_Turn the music up a little bit louder_  
Just gotta get past the midnight hour (uh huh)  
Maybe tomorrow it won't be this hard

_Who am I kidding?  
I know what I'm missing_

_Oh, I had my heart set on you_  
But nothing else hurts like you do  
Who knew that love was so cruel (yeah, yeah, yeah)  
And I waited and waited so long  
For someone who'll never come home  
It's my fault to think you'll be true (yeah, yeah)  
I'm just a fool  
(Yeah)

_I said that I don't care_  
I'd walk away whatever  
And I tell myself we were bad together (uh huh)  
But that's just me trying to move on without you

_But who am I kidding?  
I know what I'm missing_

_I, I had my heart set on you_  
But nothing else hurts like you do  
Who knew that love was so cruel (yeah, yeah, yeah)  
And I waited and waited so long  
For someone who'll never come home  
It's my fault to think you'll be true (yeah, yeah)  
I'm just a fool

_For holding on to something that_  
Is never ever gonna come back  
I can't accept that it's lost

_I should have let it go_  
Held my tongue  
Kept my big mouth shut  
'Cause now everything is just wrong, wrong, wrong

_I'm just a fool_  
A fool for you  
I'm just a fool

_I, I had my heart set on you_  
But nothing else hurts like you do  
Who knew that love was so cruel (yeah, yeah, yeah)  
I waited and waited so long  
For someone who'll never come home  
It's my fault to think you'll be true (yeah, yeah)  
I'm just a fool  
I'm just a fool  
I'm just a fool

_It's my fault to think you'll be true (yeah, yeah, yeah)  
I'm just a fool_

The entire bar erupted with applause. Kevin sat stone-faced during the entire performance while Kurt struggled to keep the tears from flowing. Somehow Kurt knew that wasn't the song that Blaine had prepared…Blaine sang it because he knew he was here. Blaine wanted Kurt to hear that, to hear that two weeks of not speaking had done nothing to diminish Blaine's feelings…not even in the slightest. Kurt didn't really know what to think. Damn Kevin and his insistence in coming here. Kurt was betting that Kevin regretted it now.

Blaine rushed off the stage and back to his table. Landry grabbed him by the shoulders. "Damn Blaine! Who knew you could sing like that? I mean, we figured you were good but, wow. That was some emotion you put into that performance. Wow!"

"Yeah, thanks. I, um, I have to go. I'll see you guys on Monday." Blaine rushed out of the bar without looking back once.

* * *

Kurt's mind was spinning. Here he was, on a date with Kevin (a _third_ date) and he just saw is ex-boyfriend sing to him. No one other than him and Kevin would know Blaine was singing to him. Blaine…he rushed out of the bar after his song like he was outrunning a fire. Kurt slowly glanced over at Kevin and instantly met his eyes staring back at him.

"What the hell Kurt? What in the name of hell is Blaine still doing in New York? You told me he lived back in Ohio! It sure looked like he knew those guys he was with!" Ok, Kevin was angry.

"Uh, well…" Kurt began.

"Don't lie to me Kurt. You knew he was still in New York, didn't you?"

"Yes, ok? I knew Blaine was still here." Ok, how was Kurt going to explain this?

"Well? I'm listening. Don't act like that's the end of the story because you and I both know it's not."

Kurt sighed. "Blaine told me the day I got released from the hospital that he had been offered a job at a law firm here in the city…"

"Why would he need a job here, Kurt? What about his job in Ohio? Didn't you tell me that he worked for his Dad?" Kevin interrupted.

"Look Kevin. I really don't want to have this conversation here. Can we leave and go somewhere a little more quiet?"

Kevin agreed and soon they were in a cab heading back to Kevin's apartment. Kevin lived in a small loft – a studio, really – right near the hospital. He said he'd gotten a really good deal on the place and was fortunate enough to not need roommates. Kurt didn't know a lot about Kevin at this point in their relationship but he knew enough to know that Kevin was a bit more bland than he was. Kevin had dropped Kurt off at his apartment on their first two dates so this was the first time Kurt had seen Kevin's place. The walls were a light cream color and all of his furniture was micro-suede tan. _Well,_ Kurt thought to himself, _if he and I were to make this last, he's definitely going to have to step it up in the style department._

"Do you want anything to drink?" Kevin pulled Kurt from his thoughts. Kurt also noticed that Kevin's tone had changed and he didn't seem quite so angry anymore. There seemed to be a slight hurt to his voice now. Kurt couldn't decide which was worse – having him angry or hurt.

"No thanks. I'm good." Kurt took a seat on the couch. Kevin sat down next to him. "Look Kevin, I wasn't trying to lie or keep anything from you. I swear. I had no idea that Blaine would be there tonight."

"Kurt, I know you didn't know he would be there. Besides, I'm the one that suggested going to Bleakers. Remember? I just want to know what you do know. And why you didn't tell me anything."

"I told you in the hospital that Blaine and I used to date back in high school. Things went horribly wrong after I graduated and we broke up. Fast forward seven years and we run into each other again…"

"Can I ask what happened between you two to cause you to break up? I mean, seven years is a long time to go without talking to each other."

Kurt thought for a moment. Should he tell Kevin about the non-cheating incident? No, Kurt ultimately decided. He wasn't ready to divulge all of that. "I'd rather not get into all of the sorted details. But like I said before, both of us made mistakes. Regardless, seeing each other again did stir up old feelings. I'm not going to lie to you Kevin. I did briefly think about what it would be like if Blaine and I were to get back together. This was all before I met you, of course." Kurt smiled.

Kevin smiled back. "Well since you're dating me, I know what you decided but why? Truth, Kurt."

"What I told you in the hospital was the truth, Kevin. Things with Blaine have always been exhausting. Once we became a couple things were never… just easy, you know?" Kurt thought back to all of the things that tried, and ultimately, came between them. They'd had so many challenges. First Kurt transferred back to McKinley from Dalton, then once Blaine transferred to McKinley the following year, Finn wasn't the most welcoming of Blaine's presence in New Directions, then Blaine got the male lead in West Side Story, then there was Sebastian. Sebastian tried to openly steal Blaine from Kurt. Then there was the rock salt slushie. Then there was Chandler, followed, or rather paired with, Blaine's insecurity of their upcoming long distance relationship. And then they were in it – the long distance relationship. Add Blaine's discovery that he was not a finalist at NYADA, along with Blaine's father, along with Kurt's busy schedule when he first moved to New York and they were doomed.

"Not all relationships are easy, Kurt. Most require work, you know?"

"I know. But when you add up all that Blaine and I had against us, it seems like we were just never meant for happily ever after. So, when I thought about getting back together with Blaine, I realized that, while not all of the same struggles would be there, some still would. The most obvious one would be the long distance. That was before Blaine told me about his job here. The truth is, I thought back over the entire length of our relationship and realized that when Blaine and I were really, truly happy was when we were just friends. There was an easiness there. No pressure. That's what I missed. I told him that. My friendship is all I can offer him."

Kevin took in what Kurt had said. "Ok, go back for a minute. You never told me about Blaine's new job."

"Oh, sorry. I didn't know any of this until the day I got released from the hospital but apparently Blaine quit his job in Ohio when he heard that I'd been attacked."

"He just up and quit?"

"Yeah. Something you don't know about Blaine, Kevin, is that he and his father don't have the best relationship." Kurt didn't want to go into all of the details of Blaine's personal business regarding his family.

"But I thought he worked for his father?"

"He did. It's complicated. It's a long story and it's not my story to tell. But I will say that when Blaine asked for time off so he could come see me, his father denied him. Blaine got angry and quit."

"Is Blaine's strained relationship with his father due to him being gay?" Kevin knew he should stop prying but he was curious.

"That's part of it. Blaine also has an older brother that is…well, let's just say Blaine has always been living in his brother's shadow. Anyway, once Blaine got here, I guess reality hit him and he realized that he needed a job. I already told you that Blaine wanted to fight for me so he figured if he could find a job here, in the city, close to me, that would take him one step closer to winning me back."

While Kevin might not particularly like Blaine, he did feel a bit of sympathy for him regarding his home life. And, having spent more time with Kurt, he could understand why he wanted to fight for Kurt. "What did you say when he told you?"

"Well I was quite shocked. That's when I told him about feeling like we were better off as friends." Kurt hated seeing the look on Blaine's face when they had that conversation. "And, I told him I had agreed to go on a date with you." Kurt smiled.

"You did?" That took Kevin by surprise. "I take it he didn't like that very much."

"Not exactly. He asked me to cancel our date. When I told him I just wanted to be friends, well, he left. Tonight at Bleakers is the first time I've seen him since. I have no idea where he's living or even what law firm he's working for."

"Rhoades, Michaelson & Boothe."

"What?"

"That's the law firm Blaine's working for. At least, I'm assuming. I told you my buddies and I like to go down to Bleakers to make fun of those guys. I've been there enough to know who those guys are. I don't know them on a personal level but I know they all work for that law firm. Since Blaine was with them, and they looked pretty friendly, I'm assuming he's working there too."

"Oh. Well, as I said, I haven't spoken to him since that day. I promise." Kurt said.

"Kurt. I know. I believe you. I just have one more question." Kurt just looked at him. "How did you feel when you saw him tonight? You and I both know that song was about you."

Kurt swallowed thickly. "Well as you can imagine, I was surprised. I also have no delusions that he sang that song for me. But, it doesn't matter. I'm here with you. So if you don't mind, can we change the topic?"

Kevin smiled. He was satisfied with their conversation. And, aside from Blaine at the bar, this evening was going very well. "Sure, I'd love to. What would you like to discuss?" Kevin had a sly smile on his face, hoping Kurt would take the bait.

He did…"How about we just stop talking all together?" Kurt slowly closed the distance between himself and Kevin and gently placed his lips on Kevin's.

Kurt found that Kevin was eager to deepen the kiss. They've only exchanged goodnight kisses on their first two dates. Neither kiss was spectacular but Kevin felt that they'd reached a new level, having had such an open discussion about Blaine so he was anxious to explore Kurt further. Kurt felt Kevin's tongue brush lightly across his lips and after a moment of hesitation, he allowed Kevin's tongue entrance. As their tongues danced together, Kurt felt a slight uneasiness. Sure, since his big break up with Blaine Kurt had kissed a handful of other guys, but Kevin was the first guy Kurt had _really_ kissed since he last kissed Blaine. Kissing Kevin wasn't bad, it was just different. Kurt supposed that was to be expected. Everyone kisses a little differently and the two just need to mold their styles together to achieve the perfect kiss. Suddenly, Kurt was trying harder. The next thing he knew, Kevin moaned into Kurt's mouth and he was a little surprised that his cock responded to Kevin's moan.

Kurt's sudden tightness in his pants caused him to moan and then Kevin was slowly pushing Kurt back on his couch, straddling his thighs. Kurt quickly discovered Kevin's erection, as their crotches came together. Kurt instinctively bucked his hips up and, Oh God, that felt good. They began a steady rhythm of rubbing their fully clothed erections together, their mouths never leaving each other. Suddenly, Kevin's lips left Kurt's and he moaned loud, then said "Kurt, I want you. I want you so bad."

Time stopped. Those words…those exact words. Blaine said those exact words years ago when he was drunk and wanted to seduce Kurt in the backseat of his car. Before Kurt realized what was happening, Kevin began slowly unbuttoning Kurt's shirt. He felt warm hands along his stomach, then brush against his nipples before heading back up to caress his face. The kissing continued. Their rhythmic hip bucking continued. Kurt found himself once again lost in the amazing feeling the body above his was creating. He felt a hand run down his chest, followed by lips…lips that kissed his neck, then sucked on his nipple (and, OH the moan that came out of Kurt's mouth), then he felt a hand on the button of his jeans. The top button of his jeans popped open. Kurt slowly opened his eyes. The image that appeared before him was not the image he was seeing in his mind. Kurt jerked up, throwing Kevin off of the couch. He was having trouble catching his breath.

"Oof!" Kevin landed pretty hard on the floor. "What's wrong, Kurt? Are we moving too fast? I'm sorry! I don't want to pressure you, I swear!"

Kurt was still panting. "No, no, no…" Kurt was shaking his head back and forth. Kurt got off of the couch, hastily threw his shirt on, grabbed his crutches from the floor and, as quickly as he could possibly move, he left Kevin's apartment, leaving behind a completely stunned and confused Kevin.

Kurt stumbled to get to the first floor and was finally met with the cool New York night air. He hailed a cab by sticking one of his crutches out into the street. Immediately, one stopped. Kurt quickly got in and gave the cabbie his address. Once the cab driver took off, Kurt rested his head back along the headrest. _What the hell was that?_ Kurt thought. _Why in the hell was I seeing Blaine in my mind instead of Kevin?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you go. Kurt's still trying to convince himself that he and Blaine are better off as friends. We all know how well that works. Next chapter will have some Klaine interaction...
> 
> The song is called 'Just a Fool' by Christina Aguilera (featuring Blake Shelton). It's really, really good if you haven't heard it.
> 
> And I just wanna say, thank you to all that are reading this! I can imagine some of you want to slap Kurt but he just doesn't want to give in to the feelings he's trying to bury. Rest assured though, we're working our way to happy Klaine. We just have to wade through so more crap first. Thanks for sticking with me!
> 
> Next update will probably be Sunday - 8 Feb.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is a super duper long chapter - probably the longest one of the story. Blaine talks to his mom, there are some bittersweet Klaine moments and Kevin makes a rather interesting request of Kurt. 
> 
> Mistakes are mine.
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Blaine rushed out of Bleakers and was thankful that a cab was just dropping people off, so he hopped in. After giving his address, the cab driver took off. Blaine was happy that he had an apartment to go back to instead of a cold, empty hotel room. It wasn't exactly his apartment. The law firm had company lofts (five to be exact) that they used mostly for high profile out of town clients. Noah Rhoades had been kind enough to allow Blaine to use one until he could secure his own place. Blaine was making enough money that he would be able to afford a small one bedroom apartment within no time.

Once arriving, Blaine rushed in and slammed the door behind him. "Fuck! Why was Kurt there…with Kevin? And why did I have to sing that fucking song!?" Blaine shouted into the empty room. He was SO angry with himself. Sure, he knew that Kurt had told him that he and Kevin were going on a date. And yes, they hadn't spoken to each other in a couple of weeks. But somehow, Blaine imagined that Kurt's date with Kevin had been a huge disaster. Of course, seeing Kurt tonight with Kevin, the two looking happy before locking eyes with Blaine, he realized that imagining Kurt unhappy with Kevin just made him delusional.

Suddenly, the apartment phone began ringing. Blaine found that odd, most everyone called him on his cell phone. Blaine walked over and answered. "Hello?"

"Blaine? It's Landry."

"Hey Landry."

"Are you ok? You rushed out so fast you didn't get a chance to hear people ask for an encore. I don't think Bleakers has had such a great performance in a long time! They loved you!"

Blaine forced out a chuckle. "Thanks, man. I'm fine. I, uh, just haven't performed in a really long time. I guess I freaked out a bit. Sorry for rushing out on you guys like that."

"It's cool. Hey, the reason I'm calling is because you left your cell phone on the table. We're gonna be here for a little while longer if you want to come back. I'm sure everyone here would love another performance from you." Blaine could tell from Landry's voice that he was smiling.

"Shit. I hadn't even realized it was missing." Blaine thought for a moment. He really didn't want to go back to Bleakers. But it was Friday and he wouldn't be seeing those guys again until Monday morning. Although, a weekend of silence would be nice. He always had the apartment phone if he needed to call anyone. "Hey Landry? Would you mind just holding on to it and bringing it to the office Monday morning? I know that might sound weird but I could use a few days of quiet."

"No worries, Blaine. We've all been there. I'll turn your phone off so the battery won't die." Landry thought for a moment. "You'll find a list of all of the partner's phone numbers in a drawer by the phone. My number is on there, don't hesitate to call if you need anything. Oh, and before I forget…there will be some lawyers working at the firm this weekend…the Rogers case is heating up so they're putting in some extra hours."

"Thanks, Landry. I appreciate it." They said their goodbyes and hung up. Blaine walked over to the plush king sized bed and flopped down. He fell into a nightmare filled sleep without even changing his clothes.

* * *

Blaine woke up the next morning feeling like he'd been in a boxing match. Every one of his muscles hurt. Once he looked down and realized that he hadn't even changed out of his clothes, all of the previous night's memories flooded back to him. Blaine was hurt and embarrassed. He felt like Kurt asking for him when he was hurt was such a good sign. And when he landed a job so quickly here in the city Blaine felt like the stars were aligning. He'd begun to feel like maybe he and Kurt could finally get it right. He felt like he was finally coming home.

Home…Blaine realized that he hadn't spoken to his family since he'd left Ohio. He was not surprised that he hadn't heard from his father, but his mom? That was odd. He did miss his mom. He looked over at the apartment phone and decided to call her. He was thankful that he was good with numbers and remembered her cell number.

The phone rang three times before he heard his mom tentatively answer. "Hello?"

"Mom? It's Blaine." Blaine was tentative himself. He had no idea how his mom felt about his rash decision to quit his job and move to New York. Of course, he hadn't officially moved. He still had his apartment back in Westerville along with the rest of his belongings. He was grateful for the expense account the law firm had set up for Blaine so he could buy some suits. He'd done some shopping on his own for some clothes other than the ones he'd hastily packed when he came to see Kurt. Once he got an apartment here in New York, he would officially give up his Westerville apartment.

"Blaine?" He heard his mom sigh. "I'm so glad to hear from you, but I'm so confused. What's going on with you, honey? When are you coming home?"

"Uh, I'm not coming home, Mom. I got a job here in New York."

"What? A job? What do you mean? Your father told me you were taking a vacation."

"A vacation?!" Now Blaine was confused. "Mom, didn't Dad tell you what happened between us?"

"Of course dear. He told me that your last case settled out of court and you wanted to take a little bit of time off before starting your next case."

Oh dear Lord. Blaine should not be surprised that his father didn't tell his mom that he'd quit when daddy dearest refused to give him time off so he could visit an injured Kurt. Blaine's father liked to pretend Blaine wasn't gay so he would avoid mentioning it at all costs. Apparently, one of those costs included lying to his mom about why he wasn't in town. "Mom, that's not what happened at all. Do you remember Kurt Hummel?"

"Of course honey. I remember your high school boyfriend. Why do you ask?" Blaine did love his mom. She never once made him feel less about himself because he was gay. She loved him the same. She even gave Blaine relationship advice when he'd ask. Her only downfall in his eyes was that she never stood up to his father when he would go on a tirade about Blaine's sexuality.

"Well, Kurt lives here in New York and a while ago, he was attacked. It was bad enough that he was in the hospital for a week."

"Oh dear, Blaine! That's horrible."

"Yes, it was. Anyway, Kurt's Dad called me right after it happened and told me that Kurt wanted to see me…"

"But I didn't know you two were still in contact." Suzanne Anderson interrupted.

"We weren't but right before Kurt was attacked he was in Lima visiting his dad. We ran into each other." Blaine decided to leave out the fact that the case he'd been working on had him representing Kurt's Dad. Blaine's father had obviously left that part out too. "Anyway, Mom, I talked to Dad about time off and he refused. So…well, I quit."

"What? You quit? Why would you do that Blaine?"

Blaine rubbed his temples and sighed. "Mom, I love you. I do. But you tend to turn a blind eye in regards to Dad's treatment of me. I was always second best behind Cooper in Dad's eyes and it only got worse once I came out. He knew I wanted time off to come to New York so I could see Kurt. Mom, Kurt and I aren't even dating but just the thought of me seeing an ex-boyfriend made his stomach turn. I got so angry so I quit."

"Blaine, honey, you know your father loves you. He's not the best at showing emotion. But you have to know he loves you."

"Mom, I used to tell myself that Dad loved me because I'm his son and he has to love me, but I don't know if I believe that anymore. He didn't bat an eye when I quit…" Blaine neglected to tell her that he'd hung up on his father right after his declaration. "…and he hasn't even once tried to contact me. And, his treatment of me at work clearly shows that I am not a valued part of the team."

"But Blaine, he never told me that you quit. He told me you were on vacation, which indicates he fully believes you will return. And he does value your contribution at work. He named the law firm Anderson and Son for goodness sake!" Blaine's mom was clearly surprised by Blaine's revelations.

"Well I'm sorry he lied to you, Mom. Look, I really hope you can be happy for me. I found a really great job. It's different from corporate law. I'll be prosecuting. It's such a good opportunity for me. They're paying me really well and I'm really happy." Blaine was being a little untruthful about the happy part.

Blaine heard his mom sniffle. "Of course I'm happy if you're happy, dear. It's just that now both of my sons are gone. I already miss you. I just can't believe I had no idea all of this was going on." Blaine knew that his Mom was going to give his father a stern talking to about him lying to her.

"I know, Mom. I miss you too. I haven't moved out of my apartment in Westerville yet. When I settle on a place here, I'll be coming back to move my stuff out here. I'll call you when I get back, ok?"

"You better. I shouldn't tell you this, but…" his mother began whispering. "…you're my favorite."

Blaine smiled. "Thanks, Mom. I love you." Blaine felt better after talking to his mom. At least now he knew why she hadn't tried calling him. She thought he was on vacation. Vacation! That bastard father of his kept his mom in the dark about what was going on with their son. Well, now that he had spoken to his mom, he pulled out his laptop and pulled up the New York real estate website.

* * *

Kurt woke up the next morning feeling like shit. He couldn't believe what happened last night. Seeing Blaine. Hearing Blaine sing. Going back to Kevin's apartment and making out. Then freaking out when Kevin wanted to have sex because Kurt had been picturing he was with Blaine instead of Kevin.

Kevin hadn't called Kurt last night. Kurt was grateful for that. But he also felt horrible for running out like that. The things Kevin must be thinking. Kurt should call Kevin but he had no idea what he would say. Unfortunately, Kurt wouldn't have much time to think it over.

Kurt's cell rang. He saw Kevin's number on his caller ID. He thought about not answering but he could only avoid Kevin for so long. He bit the bullet. "Hey…"

"Hey. I wanted to give you time but I couldn't wait any longer. Are you ok? What happened last night? Was I pressuring you? Is that why you ran out?"

"No, no, you weren't pressuring me, Kevin." Shit. That would have been the perfect excuse. _Yes, I felt a little pressured Kevin. I think we should go slower._ Too late now.

"Then what happened last night? You looked at me like you'd seen a ghost and then you couldn't get out of my apartment fast enough."

_A ghost_ , Kurt thought. _Yeah, I could say that_. "I'm really sorry Kevin." Maybe he could use the too fast excuse after all. "I thought I was ready but I guess we were moving a little fast for me. I didn't feel pressure from you, trust me. I wanted it too, but then it became too much, too soon."

"It's ok, Kurt. Really. We can go as fast or as slow as you want."

"Thank you." Kurt felt better now that that was out in the open. "I'm really sorry I ran out on you like that."

"It's ok. I understand. But next time? Could we talk about it? You know? Instead of you just running out on me like that? I was worried."

"Yes. I promise I won't run out like that again."

"Ok, good. I did have another reason for calling. I was worried about how you were feeling physically. I mean, you ran out so fast and, well, before I was kind of laying on top of you. How are your ribs feeling?"

Now that Kurt noticed, his ribs hurt like hell. He hoped he hadn't injured them again. "They're a little sore actually."

"I was afraid of that. Do you want to come into the hospital for an x-ray? I'm working today…getting ready to head in now as a matter of fact."

Kurt thought about it. He wasn't really ready to face Kevin yet. "No, I think I'll be fine. I have some work to do so I'll just take it easy today and tomorrow."

"Ok, if you're sure. Promise me you'll call if you need me for anything today, ok?"

"Sure, Kevin. I promise." Kurt hung up after they exchanged their goodbyes. He was glad the initial conversation between them was over. At least Kevin didn't bring up Blaine. Kurt pulled out his sketch pad and got to work.

Kurt didn't know how much time had passed. All he knew was that he'd apparently fallen asleep while sketching. He rubbed his eyes and stretched. Damn! Those ribs of his really hurt. Kurt was beginning to think that maybe he'd fractured one of them again. He really hoped not. Not only because did he not want to go to the hospital. He didn't want to come face to face with Kevin yet and since his ankle and leg were still broken, fractured ribs would mean no more crutches and back to the wheelchair. Going back in the wheelchair meant that he wouldn't be able to go into the office. He knew that Ms. Spencer would understand. How he got so lucky to have her as his boss, he'll never know. Not only was she one of the top designers in the world, but she was one of the nicest people he'd ever met. And, she thought he had talent.

_Nope, my ribs are just fine. A little sore but just fine._ Kurt thought to himself. Kurt realized that he needed to use the restroom. He slowly sat up from where he'd fallen asleep on his couch. To his right, his crutches were leaning against the bar that separated the kitchen from the living room. To his left, was the bathroom. _Oh, what the hell? My place is so freaking small that I can hobble to the bathroom without getting my crutches._ So that's exactly what he did. He managed to make it to the bathroom and use it with success. He washed his hands and went to hobble back into the living room when suddenly the cast on his ankle knocked against the door frame causing Kurt to lose his balance. As he fell, he instinctively reached out to brace his fall and he ended up crashing into his couch…right on his ribs. He slumped to the floor in utter agony.

"Fuck! Shit! Fucking shit!" Kurt screamed. Oh, the pain was bad…really bad. If Kurt thought that he had maybe re-cracked a rib before, he knew with absolute certainty that he had now. He was lying on the floor trying desperately to catch his breath. Man, cracked ribs make it hard to breathe. His phone…he needed his phone. He was going to have to call Kevin now for those x-rays. He glanced around and finally saw his phone…sitting atop the bar in his kitchen. Shit. When only moments before Kurt thought his apartment was so small it seemed like a good idea to go to the bathroom without his crutches, seeing his phone lying on the bar in the kitchen, he felt like his apartment might as well have been the freaking White House. How was Kurt going to reach his phone?

Slowly, very slowly, Kurt began to army crawl across the floor…swearing the entire time from the pain. Every few seconds he had to stop and attempt to breathe again. After 20 minutes, he had finally managed to make it to the kitchen. Now he had to figure out how he was going to stand up…well he at least had to make it to his knees so he could reach his phone. OH DEAR GOD THE PAIN! He barely managed to grab his phone before collapsing back on the floor again. He dialed Kevin's cell number. Voicemail. Shit. Next, he called the hospital and got connected to the nurse's station where Kevin was assigned. The nurse on duty told Kurt that Kevin had been pulled into an emergency surgery. Kurt thanked her and hung up quickly. He couldn't talk longer than a minute without feeling like he was going to die from the pain. Now what? Yes…Rachel. He dialed Rachel's number…it went straight to voicemail. Damn! That meant she must be in rehearsal. Kevin was in surgery. Rachel was in rehearsal. What now? He didn't want to call 911. He really didn't want the embarrassment of having an ambulance pull up outside his apartment and take him down on a gurney. Kurt might have felt like he could die at any moment from the pain, but he still had his dignity.

Blaine. Could he call Blaine? Should he call Blaine? That was the only other person in the city that he knew would rush to his side to help him. Was it right to exploit him like that? Wait…would he still come to help? They weren't exactly in the best place right now. But, oh the pain. Fuck it…he dialed Blaine's number. Straight to voicemail. What the hell? Where the hell was he? What should he do now? He knew that there was no hope of getting in touch with Rachel and Kevin. Then he remembered Kevin had mentioned the name of the law firm Blaine was working for. He thought he'd chance it. Thank God for internet on his phone. He looked up the number and dialed.

"Rhoades, Michaelson and Boothe. How can I help you?" The receptionist answered.

Wow, Kurt was kind of surprised that someone was there on a Saturday. "Um, yes. I'm looking for Blaine Anderson. He works there right?" Kurt was panting, barely able to get the words out.

"Yes, sir. Mr. Anderson is an attorney in our firm. However, he is not in today. Are you in need of a consultation?"

"Um, no. I am a friend of his and am in desperate need of getting in touch with him. Does he have a company cell phone number?" Oh, Kurt didn't think he could keep this conversation going for much longer. He might have to break down and call 911 after all.

The receptionist could hear some anguish in this man's voice. She didn't know what was going on with him but she knew she couldn't give out Blaine's cell phone number. "Look, Mr…"

"Hummel, Kurt Hummel. I know what I'm asking is…"

"Did you say Kurt Hummel?" She was fond of Blaine. He was such a great guy and she enjoyed talking to him. During their conversations Blaine had mentioned he was working to avenge the attack of an old friend of his…a Mr. Kurt Hummel.

"Yes, I did." Kurt noticed the change in her voice.

"Mr. Hummel, Blaine has mentioned you before. How can I help you?"

Mentioned me? Kurt didn't know if that was good or bad. "Um, I'm trying to get a hold of Blaine and his cell is off. Do you have another number for him? Please?" Kurt was in such pain and needed help, and he needed it soon.

"Absolutely, Mr. Hummel. Blaine is currently staying in one of our company lofts. Please hold for a moment and I'll get the number for you."

Oh thank God…he was getting somewhere. The receptionist returned quickly. After wishing him good luck ( _good luck?_ ) he thanked her and hung up. He dialed the number to the loft where Blaine was staying. One ring, two rings, three rings… _answer, please answer Blaine…_

"Hello?" Oh sweet Jesus…Blaine answered!

"Blaine?" Kurt was barely able to get out enough air to whisper his name.

"Kurt? Kurt? What's wrong?" Something was wrong. Blaine could feel it in his bones.

"I need you." That was all Kurt could get out before the fainted from the pain.

* * *

Blaine had been checking out New York's real estate for quite some time. There were several great apartments in his price range. He was thankful for that. He had narrowed it down to two. Of course, he would contact the agent first thing Monday morning to see about arranging a viewing but he was pretty certain one of those would work perfectly. He signed at his choices though. One was near the law firm. That meant on nice days he could actually walk to work instead of taking a cab or the subway. The other? Just two blocks from Kurt's place. It was not very close to his office. That meant he would absolutely have to take the subway or a cab to work every day.

Blaine couldn't believe that he was still making choices that revolved around Kurt. Maybe he was just like he sang last night…just a fool. He should just look at the apartment close to his office and live there. That made more sense. Kurt had clearly moved on. Apparently dating Kevin was just what Kurt needed and they would end up living happily ever after. Blaine? Maybe one day, if he were lucky enough, he could find someone that he could find contentment with. Blaine knew he would never truly be happy with anyone other than Kurt. But, Blaine loved Kurt more than anything and that meant he just wanted Kurt to be happy. And, if he was happy with Kevin…then so be it.

Blaine closed his laptop and thought about what else he should do with his day. He could go out and check out the outside of the building that held the apartment he was considering. Just then the loft phone rang. Blaine got off of the bed and walked into the other room. "Hello?"

"Blaine?" It was barely a whisper but Blaine knew it was Kurt.

"Kurt? Kurt? What's wrong?" Blaine knew something was wrong. He could feel it in his bones.

"I need you." Then Blaine heard what sounded like the phone dropping.

"Kurt? Kurt! Are you there? Please answer me? Kurt?!" Blaine didn't know what was wrong, but this was not good. "Ok, Kurt! I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm on my way over. Don't move! I'm on my way!" Blaine hung up the phone and grabbed his coat. He desperately wished now that he'd gone back to Bleakers last night for his cell phone.

Blaine rushed out onto the sidewalk and nearly knocked a woman over as he rushed for a cab. "Hey asshole! Watch where you're going dickhead!"

Blaine glanced over his shoulder. Yep, he pretty much knocked her over. "Sorry! Emergency!" he shouted over his shoulder. After what felt like an eternity, a cab finally stopped for him. He gave the driver Kurt's address and told him to step on it…it was an emergency. Blaine fidgeted the entire ride. New York traffic sucked when you wanted to get somewhere fast.

Once they pulled up outside of Kurt's building, Blaine threw $50 into the front seat and told the driver to keep the change. Blaine took the stairs two at a time…panic rushing over him with every step. He didn't even knock when he got to Kurt's door, he just charged in, thanking the heavens that Kurt's door was unlocked. What he saw took his breath away. Kurt was lying on the floor, phone lying next to him, clearly passed out. Blaine knelt down next to him.

"Kurt?" Blaine nudged Kurt carefully. He had no idea what was wrong and didn't want to risk further injury. "Kurt? It's Blaine. Can you hear me? Kurt? It's Blaine."

Kurt could hear someone talking in the background of his mind. _"Kurt? It's Blaine"_ Was he really hearing Blaine's voice? He struggled to find his voice. "Ugggh…Blaine?"

Relief washed over Blaine. Kurt hadn't moved yet but at least he was speaking. "Kurt? Yes, it's Blaine. Can you open your eyes for me?"

Kurt now heard Blaine's voice in the forefront of his mind. Blaine had asked him to open his eyes. Could he do that? He was in so much pain and he was so confused. What had happened to him? He slowly opened his eyes and saw Blaine's beautiful honey eyes staring back at him. "Blaine?"

"Oh thank God. Hi there Kurt. You scared me. Can you tell me what happened? It looks like you passed out here." Blaine had never been more thankful to see those eyes looking back into his.

Kurt thought for a moment. He was having trouble breathing. Then, he remembered. "My ribs." was all Kurt managed to say.

Blaine took a look around the room. He noticed the bathroom light was still on. He noticed that the coffee table appeared to have been knocked out of the way. He put two and two together. "Kurt? Did you fall? Did you fall on your ribs?"

Kurt slowly nodded. "I must have passed out from the pain." He was still having a hard time catching his breath.

"Ok, ok. Well, you seem to be in quite a bit of pain and we need to have your ribs checked again so why don't we get you to the hospital, ok?"

Kurt nodded again. "Blaine, I'm sorry…"

"Kurt…" Blaine interrupted "…don't. It's ok, really. Let's just get you to the hospital."

Blaine wasn't really sure how he was going to get Kurt downstairs. He looked around for Kurt's wheelchair but when he saw crutches lying on the floor Blaine assumed that he didn't have the wheelchair anymore. He asked Kurt and he confirmed with a nod of his head. There was no way that he was going to be able to use his crutches. Kurt could barely move, let alone walk with crutches. Blaine knew he only had one option.

"Kurt? I'm going to call for a cab, that way we don't have to wait on one once we get downstairs. Then when the cab gets here, I'm going to have to pick you up and carry you down. Ok?"

_Ok, maybe calling 911 would have been the better option. Blaine carrying me out is just as embarrassing._ "No, Blaine. I think if I lean on you I'll be able to walk down on my own." Kurt was struggling to sit up.

Blaine turned around from where he was getting the number to a cab company. "Kurt. You can barely sit up. Do you want to risk further injury and possibly puncture a lung?"

Kurt bowed his head. "No."

"Ok, then. You're going to let me carry you down and you're not going to think another thing about it." Blaine called the cab and within a few moments they heard the cab honking, indicating it was there.

Kurt had managed to make it into a sitting position, leaning against the bar in his kitchen. He looked up at Blaine as he knelt next to him. "This is going to hurt, isn't it?"

"I'm afraid so. Now, just put your arm around my neck so I can lift you."

Kurt reached his arm around Blaine's neck as Blaine reached behind Kurt's back and under his knees. He tried as carefully as he could to lift Kurt without causing him any unnecessary pain.

"Oh holy fucking hell!" Kurt screamed as Blaine lifted him. It did feel kind of nice to be in Blaine's arms again. The pain though, prevented him from enjoying it. Wait? Should he enjoy it?

"I know, Kurt. I know it must hurt. I'm sorry. I'm trying to be as gentle as I can." Blaine felt horrible that Kurt was in this much pain. He descended down the stairs as gracefully and quickly as he could. He walked up to the cab and asked the driver through the window if he could open the door for him. The driver got out and opened the door and Blaine carefully placed Kurt into the seat. Blaine walked around to the other side of the cab and climbed in. He told the driver to take them to the hospital.

Once they arrived at the hospital Blaine told Kurt to sit in the cab while he ran in for a wheelchair. Moments later he returned with the wheelchair and assisted Kurt out of the cab and into the chair. He paid the driver and wheeled Kurt into the ER. He told the check-in clerk that Kurt had apparently re-injured his ribs and needed some x-rays. The clerk signed them in and told them to have seat.

Blaine wheeled Kurt over to the waiting area and took a seat in a cold, plastic chair next to him. Kurt was feeling pretty embarrassed. If there was anything that could take his mind off of the immense amount of pain his ribs were causing him, it was the embarrassment he was feeling towards calling Blaine.

They sat there in silence for a moment or two before Kurt spoke up. "Blaine, I'm really sorry if I ruined your day." He didn't really know what else to say.

"Kurt. You didn't ruin my day. And, stop apologizing. You fell. I'm just glad you were able to get a hold of me before you passed out." Blaine thought for a moment. Why did Kurt call Blaine? And how did he get the number to the loft he was staying in? "Speaking of calling me, why did you?"

"Oh. I was afraid of this. You're mad aren't you?" Kurt was still struggling to catch his breath.

"No! Kurt, you can always call me if you need me. Always. I'm just kind of curious where Kevin was…or even Rachel."

"I tried Kevin. The nurses told me he'd been pulled in to help on an emergency surgery. Rachel's phone went straight to voicemail which means she's in rehearsal. So…"

Blaine had to admit that he was a little hurt that he had been Kurt's third choice. Not surprised given the circumstances of their relationship at the moment, but a little hurt. "So, how did you find me?"

Oh, this was going to be a little embarrassing. Kurt had to admit that he'd kind of gone to great lengths to find Blaine. It seemed like a good idea at the time, considering the amount of pain Kurt was in, but now? A little embarrassing. "Well, when your cell phone went straight to voicemail, I called your office and convinced the receptionist to give out any number she had for you."

Blaine thought this through for a second. "Wait. How did you know what law firm I worked for?"

Ok, Kurt really didn't want to continue this conversation. "Um, does it matter?"

Blaine sighed. He could tell Kurt didn't want to talk about it. "No, I guess not. You found me and that's what counts."

They sat in uncomfortable silence for a bit. Kurt didn't like silence. It felt weird. For as long as they have been friends and/or lovers, there have never been moments of uncomfortable silence before. Kurt opened his mouth and said the first thing that came out. "Kevin told me."

Blaine looked over at him. "Excuse me?"

"What law firm you worked for? Kevin told me."

"But I thought you couldn't get a hold of Kevin." Blaine was confused.

"No, not today. Last night. He told me last night."

"Oh." Blaine didn't really know how to respond. Bringing up last night brought back all of the embarrassment of singing at Bleakers.

Well Kurt didn't really know what to say now either. He didn't want to bring up Kevin in the first place and even more so, he didn't want to bring up last night. Kurt sighed. "I'm sorry."

"What are you apologizing for now?"

"Bringing up last night. I know it was uncomfortable for both of us. It's just that Kevin goes to Bleakers with his friends pretty regularly and he knows some of your co-workers…not on a personal level or anything. He just happens to know the law firm's name and he mentioned it in passing. I remembered it when I was trying to find you."

"Oh. Ok. Well I'm glad you remembered it."

Silence again. When in the hell was Kurt going to be called back? Didn't these doctors know he was in pain? Then Kurt remembered something else. "The receptionist at your firm? She was totally unwilling to give me the number to the loft you're staying in until I told her my name. Then she bent over backwards to get it for me. And she wished me good luck before hanging up. Do you know what that's all about?"

Now Blaine didn't want to continue with the conversation. The look on Kurt's face told Blaine that he was not going to let it drop until he had an answer. "I really didn't want to tell you this, Kurt."

Now Kurt's curiosity was getting the best of him. "Tell me what?"

"Well I told you before that I wanted to work on finding out who attacked you. And, that's what I'm doing."

"Oh. After everything, you're still doing that?"

"Yeah. Just because you don't want me in your life doesn't mean that I've stopped caring about you. I hate what happened to you. And, I want to find the assholes that did it."

Kurt felt about three feet tall. "Blaine, I don't want you to not be in my life. I want to be friends."

"I know, Kurt. I know you said friendship is all you can give me. But that's not enough for me right now." Blaine looked down at the floor.

"Then why did you come when I called?"

"Because I could tell you were hurt. Friendship might not be enough for me right now Kurt but, if you're hurt, I'm always going to come when you call."

Kurt smiled a small smile at Blaine. Kurt was starting to get impatient. When was he going to be called back to be seen by a doctor? Maybe Kevin was out of surgery. If he could get a hold of him, maybe he could get Kurt seen faster. He patted his pockets. No cell phone. It must be back in his apartment on the floor somewhere. He glanced over at Blaine. He hated to ask but…"Blaine?"

Blaine looked over. "Yeah?"

"Can I borrow your cell phone? Maybe Kevin's out of surgery and he can speed up this process."

A brief hint of hurt flashed across Blaine's face. "I don't have my cell phone with me, Kurt."

"You don't?"

"No. I accidently left it behind at the bar last night when I left."

"Oh." Kurt really wished last night would stop rearing its ugly head.

Blaine stood up. "I'll go ask the clerk what's taking so long."

Kurt watched Blaine walk away. He was uncomfortable, and not just because he was sure he'd cracked at least another rib…maybe more. Being here, with Blaine like this, felt like torture. Sometimes, he looked at Blaine and saw such compassion. In those moments, he really felt like maybe, just maybe, he was giving up on Blaine too fast. And the non-cheating lie wasn't what was holding him back. He really had forgiven him for that. What'd he said to Kevin was true. There was always a complication between them. Things with Kevin were just easy. And why didn't Kurt deserve easy? Kurt had let go of the dream of him and Blaine being together forever a long time ago. He'd made peace with that. Now, here he was, back in his life, trying to rearrange his brain into mush again. No. No. Kevin was good to him. Kevin. Things will work with Kevin.

"Kurt? Hello?" Blaine waved a hand in front of Kurt's face, bringing him out of his thoughts. "There's a doctor that will see you now."

* * *

After the doctor took a look at him, it was confirmed that Kurt had re-cracked one rib. He was lucky that it was only one rib and it was only cracked and not completely broken. They wanted to keep Kurt overnight just so they could properly wrap his ribs and evaluate him since he passed out. He would be able to go home tomorrow. Blaine stayed with him during the entire evaluation. Once they got Kurt settled in his room, Blaine told Kurt he was going to grab some coffee and he'd be right back.

"Blaine, I've already burdened you enough. You don't have to stay with me. You can go home. Really. I'll be fine."

"Kurt, it's fine. I want to make sure that you're fine. Actually, why don't you take a nap and I'll go back to your apartment and get your cell phone. I'm sure you'd like to call your Dad."

"You know? I would like that. Thank you, Blaine."

Blaine smiled and stepped out into the hallway. Once the door closed behind him, Blaine took a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair – realizing that he'd had no plans for the day and left in such a hurry once he got the call from Kurt, he hadn't put gel in his hair this morning. He must look like a fright. That's ok, he felt like one.

"Blaine?" Blaine turned and saw Kevin rushing towards him.

"Kevin." Blaine replied curtly.

"What are you doing here? Where's Kurt?"

"Well, I'm here because Kurt couldn't reach you or Rachel so he called me. Kurt is in the room behind me, but…" Blaine added as he saw Kevin attempt to rush in the door "…he's sleeping so you probably shouldn't wake him."

Kevin looked a little skeptically at Blaine. "I was in surgery. I heard from one of the nurses that he'd been admitted. What happened?"

"He fell and re-cracked a rib. Once I got to his place, I found him unconscious. He'd passed out from the pain." Blaine noticed a concerned look on Kevin's face. "He's fine now Kevin. The doctor just wants to keep him overnight to observe him since he passed out."

"How did he fall?"

"I'm not totally sure." Blaine replied.

"You're not sure?!" Kevin asked incredulously.

Blaine was shocked by Kevin's tone. "Look! I was more concerned about getting him here and making sure he was ok. I'm sorry I didn't ask the questions you would have asked…" Blaine said sarcastically "…but getting him here was the most important thing on my mind."

Kevin sighed. "You're right. I'm sorry. I just freaked out a little when I'd heard he was here."

Blaine stared at him for a moment. "It's ok." Blaine paused. "I'm on my way back to his place to get his cell phone. We'd forgotten it in the rush. He wants to call his Dad." Blaine took a few steps then turned back. "My guess is that he fell coming out of his bathroom. The light was still on and the couch and coffee table looked like they'd been knocked around."

Blaine turned to walk away when he heard Kevin's voice. "Blaine?"

Blaine just looked at him.

"Thank you. Not only for going back to get his phone, but for being there for him when he called."

"I'll always be there for him when he calls." With that, Blaine turned and left the hospital.

Kevin turned and faced the door to Kurt's hospital room. Kevin hated that he was unavailable when Kurt had needed him. And he hated it even more that he had to call Blaine. Blaine of all people! He peered into the small window in the door. Kurt was sleeping soundly, looking peaceful. Kevin went to the nurse's station on that floor and called the nurse's station he was assigned to – three floors up – and told them where he was in case anyone was looking for him. They were understanding and said they'd page him if they needed him.

Kevin slowly pushed the door to Kurt's room open and pulled the chair up next to Kurt's bed. He put his hand over Kurt's and just watched him sleep. He knew he could look at his chart and check his vitals if he wanted. But right now he didn't want to be a nurse. He just wanted to be a concerned boyfriend.

After only a few minutes, Kurt began to stir…a look of pain on his face. He gripped Kevin's hand tighter in his. "Blaine?" Kurt whispered.

Kevin had to admit that hurt. "No, Kurt. It's Kevin."

Kurt inhaled deeply and slowly opened his eyes, removing his hand from Kevin's to rub his eyes. "Kevin?"

Kevin smiled. "Hey there. Heard you were here. How're you feeling?"

"I feel like ass. And, slightly embarrassed."

"Yeah, so Blaine tells me – he went back to get your cell phone by the way – anyway, he tells me that you apparently fell, re-cracked a rib, and passed out."

"That's a pretty accurate account of what happened."

"Kurt, you know I'm gonna need more details than that."

Kurt sighed. "Ok, fine. I went to the bathroom without using my crutches. My stupid ankle cast knocked against the door frame and I lost my balance. I fell right into the armrest on the couch. That's when I noticed my phone on the other side of the room so I crawled. It hurt, bad. So I obviously passed out."

"But not before you got a hold of Blaine…" Kevin knew that was low but it just slipped out.

"Don't do that Kevin. I tried you first. And I tired Rachel second. She must've been in rehearsal because her phone was turned off. So, yes, I called Blaine."

"Why didn't you call 911?" Why was Kevin picking a fight?

"Really, Kevin? Really?"

"No, no. You're right. It doesn't matter. You're here, you're ok and that's all that matters." Kevin smiled and took Kurt's hand once again in his. Kurt smiled back. "Wanna hear about the awesome surgery I got to see?" Kurt nodded.

Blaine had just returned from getting Kurt's cell phone. He hesitated before pushing Kurt's hospital room open and peered in the window. He was greeted with the sight of Kevin holding Kurt's hand and Kurt smiling at him. Kevin was telling Kurt something that Kurt seemed to enjoy. He missed having that beautiful smile of Kurt's directed at him. Blaine thought about interrupting them but Blaine was tired of making that beautiful smile of Kurt's disappear. He'd done that enough.

Blaine turned his back to Kurt's hospital room and unlocked Kurt's cell phone. He figured he'd call Burt himself. The phone rang twice before Burt answered. "Hey, kiddo! What's up?"

"Burt? It's Blaine. How are you doing?"

"Hey Blaine. To what do I owe the pleasure? I'm doing great…feeling great. Carole takes great care of me. So, spending some time with my kid are ya?" Blaine could hear the smile in Burt's voice.

"Uh, you could say that. I'm calling from the hospital. Kurt fell…"

"He fell? What happened? How is he? Do I need to fly out?" Burt was panicked.

"He's fine, Burt. He fell in his apartment this morning. He did manage to re-crack one rib and the hospital is keeping for one night for observation. There's no need for you to come out. They're releasing him tomorrow."

"Observation? For a cracked rib?" Burt was confused.

"He was alone when he fell and he managed to call me but he passed out from the pain before I got to his apartment. They want to watch over him because he passed out."

"Ok, are you with him? What am I asking? Of course you are, you're calling me from his cell phone. Can I talk to him?"

"Sure, I'm out in the hall. Hold on." Blaine walked over to Kurt's door and looked in the window again. Kevin was still holding Kurt's hand and he was still telling what appeared to be an animated story judging by the way he was using his other hand to aid in his speaking. He knocked briefly before pushing the door open and walking in.

Kurt dropped Kevin's hand, much to Kevin's disappointment. "Blaine, you're back. Did you find my phone?"

"Yeah, I've actually got your Dad on the phone right now. He wants to talk to you." Blaine approached Kurt's bed and handed over the phone.

Kevin stood up and looked at Kurt. "Blaine and I will give you some privacy so you can talk to your Dad." Kevin turned and gave Blaine a look that clearly indicated he wanted to talk to him alone.

They stepped out into the hallway and Kevin turned to look at Blaine. "What in the hell was that?"

Blaine was confused. "What was what?"

"You called Mr. Hummel didn't you?"

Blaine smiled internally that Kevin still called Burt 'Mr. Hummel'. "Uh, yeah. I did. So?"

"Dammit, Blaine. Why are you constantly trying to show me up?" Kevin was clearly pissed.

Blaine matched Kevin's anger with his own. "I don't know what the fuck you're talking about Kevin. Burt is a friend of mine. I've known him for years and I just represented him on a legal case. If I want to call him and tell him that his son reinjured a rib, I have that right! Besides, Burt has health issues of his own, so I wanted to check and see how he was doing. I'm not trying to show you up!"

"And that song last night? What the fuck was that?"

"Are you kidding me right now, Kevin? I didn't have a clue that you and Kurt were going to be there. I went to spend some time with my co-workers and they signed me up to perform so that's what I did. Really sorry if you didn't appreciate the song." Blaine was beyond pissed.

"Oh yeah, we enjoyed the song alright…laughed about it later actually." Kevin lied. "Desperate attempt to try to win Kurt back, I'd say. But Kurt made it clear when we got back to my place that he was over you and _into_ me." Kevin knew the implication he was leaving Blaine with and he felt a little guilty about lying to him. Kevin wasn't the kind of guy that lied but he really liked Kurt and thought that maybe they could have something long-lasting. He wanted Blaine out of the picture. Kevin knew that as long as Kurt retained any semblance of a friendship with Blaine he would never have Kurt completely.

Blaine blanched. He knew what Kevin was implying. He didn't know if it was true or not. Kurt hadn't been dating Kevin long. Could they have already slept together? Blaine didn't want to think about it. It just made him angrier. "Fuck you Kevin! I wasn't trying to interfere! You've already got him! He's with you, not me so shut the fuck up! I wouldn't even be here if he would have been able to get a hold of you, you asshole." Who the hell did this guy think he was? Blaine just needed to get out of there. "You know what? I'm done here. I would ask you to tell Kurt that I hope he gets better soon, but I know you won't." Blaine turned and walked straight out of the hospital.

* * *

"Hey, Dad. I guess Blaine told you what happened?" Kurt was a little tired but thankful to be talking to his Dad.

"Yeah, he did. How are you, really?"

"I'm fine, Dad. Really. I made a stupid decision and tried to do something without my crutches and I paid the price. I'm in a bit of pain and this probably means I won't be returning to the office Monday morning but I'm gonna wait to hear what the doctor says tomorrow before I call Ms. Spencer."

"I just hate that you're out there alone, Kurt."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Dad, I'm not alone. Rachel's here, Kevin's here…" Kurt trailed off.

"And Blaine? You called Blaine to take you to the hospital."

"Dad, don't read anything into that. Kevin was in surgery and Rachel was in rehearsal. Blaine was my last choice before calling 911." Kurt knew his dad wanted him with Blaine but he really hadn't given Kevin much of a chance. Kurt was sure that once his dad got to know Kevin, he would like him just as much (maybe even more?) as he liked Blaine.

"Look, kid. I know you're with Kevin but I just hate to hear the sadness in Blaine's voice. Can't you hear it Kurt? Blaine sounds sad."

"He's not sad." Kurt lied. Kurt knew he probably was sad but he was tired of being responsible for Blaine's happiness. "He's just busy…you know, starting a new job, looking for a place to live. It's stressful." Kurt hoped he sounded convincing.

"I hope you're right, Kurt. I just think Blaine's a good kid and I want him to find happiness too…BUT, before you jump all over me, yes, you're happiness is very important to me and if Kevin makes you happy, then I'm happy for you."

Kurt sighed. "Thanks, Dad. I am happy." _I am, right?_ "Kevin is good to me. I promise." Kurt stopped for a second. He thought he heard shouting from the hallway. That couldn't be good. Kevin and Blaine were out in the hallway. "Dad? Can I call you back later?"

"Sure thing, kid. Just remember, you matter."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "I remember, Dad. I love you." Kurt hung up and listened for a moment. Kurt thought he heard Blaine asking Kevin to tell him something. Then it was quiet. After another moment, Kevin came back into the room. He looked frazzled. Kurt looked at him. "What happened out there?"

"What?"

"Kevin. Don't look at me like that. I heard shouting. Were you and Blaine fighting?"

Kevin took a deep breath. "We had a slight misunderstanding, that's all."

Kurt doubted it was only a slight misunderstanding. He wanted to get to the bottom of this. "Ok, so where is he?"

"He said he had to go."

"So what did he ask you to tell me?" Kevin had a strange look on his face. "I heard him ask you to tell me something. What was it?"

Kevin opted for honesty. "He asked me to tell you he hopes you get better soon."

Kurt frowned. Kurt doubted that Blaine would walk away unprovoked. "What did you say to him before that?"

"Excuse me? What did I say to him? What makes you think this was my fault?" Kevin couldn't believe what Kurt was accusing him of.

"Kevin. I've known Blaine for years. He's not an angry person. I'm not saying that you are, but Blaine wouldn't just walk out like that without something bringing it on."

Kevin sighed. "Ok, I may have implied that he should stop fighting for you." Kevin looked down at the floor. He felt guilty about provoking Blaine.

"What? Why would you tell him that?" Without realizing he was doing it, Kurt subconsciously sided with Blaine.

"What?! You want him to keep fighting for you?" Kevin had felt guilty but after Kurt's response, maybe it was good that he told Blaine to back off. "Kurt, if we stand a chance of making this relationship work, Blaine has to be out of the picture. You have to see that, right?"

Kurt was silent for a moment. What was he saying? Of course he wanted to make things work with Kevin. Right? It's just that he hadn't seen Blaine for a couple of weeks, then all of a sudden he was singing this song to him and rushing him to the hospital after he fell, and sitting with him in the ER, and making sure his Dad knew what was going on. Blaine took care of everything without Kurt even having to ask. Blaine just knew what to do.

"Kurt? You need to say something here. If you want Blaine, you need to tell me right now. Otherwise, the only chance we stand of making this work is if Blaine keeps his distance. I'm not asking you to never speak to him again. I just think we could use some uninterrupted time. So, Kurt…what do you want to do?"

Kurt thought for a moment, then opened his mouth to speak.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cliffhangers are fun and mean at the same time. Kurt will make a choice and Blaine gets a break in the case in the next chapter. 
> 
> See y'all next Sunday! :)


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentine's Day everyone!! You're getting an early Saturday update - I won't be home tomorrow. Long chapter for you!
> 
> Warning: description of attack.
> 
> Mistakes are mine.
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing.

"Who the fuck does he think he is?" Blaine shouted once he returned to his loft. He was so pissed off he could hardly breath. All he did was make sure Kurt got to the hospital. That's it! Well of course he sat with him in the ER and made sure he was settled in his room and made sure Burt knew what was going on. He also neglected to tell Kurt that he'd tidied up his apartment when he went back to get Kurt's phone. When he walked in the apartment, he noticed the coffee table and couch was askew so he put those back in their places and turned off the bathroom light, as well as cleaning up the items Kurt had knocked off of the kitchen bar when he apparently was reaching for his phone. Some of Kurt's sketches had been strewn all over the living room floor when he knocked into the coffee table so Blaine picked them up and stacked them neatly in a pile. That was just one of Blaine's ways of helping. And he would always help Kurt. Right?

Seriously though, how long could he keep putting himself through this? He told Kurt back in Lima that he'd fight for him. But he felt like this was a losing battle. That damn Kevin had to come into the picture at just the wrong time. Kurt had been attacked – the victim of a hate crime for goodness' sake – and Kurt wanted Blaine with him. Kurt wanted Blaine to leave Ohio and come be with him in New York. No, he didn't ask Blaine to quit his job and move but he wanted Blaine there for moral support. Things were going so well…they were heading in the right direction and then Kevin showed up.

Honestly, Blaine felt like Kevin was a good guy. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with him. Kurt seemed to like him and Kevin seemed to treat Kurt right. The only thing was that Kevin hated Blaine. Blaine couldn't really blame him. Kevin hated Blaine because he and Kurt shared a past. Blaine hated Kevin because he was trying to share a future with Kurt. Blaine was torn on what to do. Should he walk away? Should he continue to fight? Blaine didn't know what to do. He knew that he'd never be truly happy with anyone other than Kurt, but he also knew that he couldn't force Kurt to love him either. If Kurt wanted Kevin, what could Blaine do about it?

Just then, the loft phone rang. Blaine rushed over, secretly (or not so secretly) hoping that it might be Kurt. "Hello?"

"Blaine? Hey, it's Emily. Where have you been? I've been trying to get a hold of you all day." It was the law firm's receptionist – and someone who was turning into a good friend for Blaine.

"Oh hey Emily. I've been out. A friend needed some help this morning and it took up quite a bit of time. What's going on?"

"Two things really. First, did Mr. Hummel get a hold of you? He called this morning looking for you. He wanted the number to the loft. It was ok that I gave it out, right?"

"Yeah, it's fine, Emily. He's actually the friend I mentioned that needed my help this morning."

"Ok, good. Second, and I think you're gonna like this, Mr. Newman returned your call this morning…."

"Liam Newman…?" Blaine interrupted.

Emily smiled into the phone. "The one and only. He actually has some free time this afternoon to meet with you if you'd like."

"Yes! I'd like very much!" Blaine was excited. He might actually get somewhere with Kurt's case after all. After receiving no response from Liam Newman, Blaine was afraid Kurt's case might go cold.

Emily laughed. "Well, I guess it's a good thing the Rogers case heated up so some of the partners were here this weekend. I'll call Mr. Newman back and ask him to come in at his earliest convenience this afternoon."

Anytime any of the partners were at the firm working on a case, they wanted a receptionist there to answer the phones, as various calls were expected as cases got closer to court. It was good for Emily because she got overtime, but it was good for Blaine because Liam Newman called back!

"Thank you, Emily. I'm going to take a quick shower and I'll be in the office soon." Blaine needed to tame his curls with gel and he was hoping the steam from the shower would calm his frazzled nerves from this morning's activities.

* * *

Kurt woke up from his nap and looked around his hospital room. He was alone. Kevin was working today after all and he could only hideaway with Kurt for so long. Kurt thought back to everything that had happened today. Turns out, re-cracking a rib was furthest thing from his mind. He supposed it was only a matter of time before Kevin and Blaine got into an argument. Blaine had been so good to him today. He came right over when Kurt called and made sure that not only did he get to the hospital but that his Dad was informed about what had happened. It felt good to be taken care of like that. Blaine always took care of everything. Even the things that Kurt didn't know needed taken care of.

Then there was Kevin. It wasn't Kevin's fault that he wasn't available when Kurt needed him. He was in surgery for crying out loud. Kurt couldn't hold Kevin accountable for that. It was his job. Kurt could understand why Blaine made him uncomfortable. When Kurt and Kevin first met, Kevin was under the impression that Blaine was Kurt's boyfriend due to Blaine's behavior. Blaine made it clear how he felt about Kurt…how he still feels about Kurt. And then there was the song at Bleakers last night. Kurt felt like last night was a million years ago after all that had happened. Kurt figured that if he were in Kevin's position, he'd be a little uncomfortable too. It's hard to get a new relationship off of the ground when the ex-boyfriend still has such a strong presence.

That's why Kurt told Kevin that he agreed with him earlier. Yes, they needed some uninterrupted time together. Kurt wanted to try to make things work with Kevin. Part of the reason was because being with Kevin was so easy. Then Kurt had to go and make things difficult. That's not what he wanted. Kevin made him smile and laugh. Kevin made him feel good about himself. Kevin never made Kurt doubt his self worth. Kevin never made him cry. Kurt always felt like the only man worthy of his tears was the one that wouldn't make him cry. So far, that man was Kevin.

Granted, Kurt knew that their relationship was very early on. He knew they'd argue – all couples do. But Kurt appreciated that when Kevin felt like there was something wrong – right now, Blaine – he came and talked to Kurt about it. He didn't just go behind Kurt's back and make a decision that would affect the both of them without talking to him. Blaine did that at the worst possible time and the results were disastrous. Kurt meant it when he said he'd forgiven Blaine for the non-cheating incident. He really did forgive him. He just wasn't in the same place Blaine was. He wasn't ready for the kind of relationship that Blaine wanted.

Trust is a funny thing. Sometimes you can trust someone instantly. Kurt trusted Blaine instantly. There was just something about him that day on that staircase at Dalton. Kurt gave Blaine his heart that day – even if Blaine didn't know it at the time. Other times, like in the case with Rachel, building up trust takes time. Whether you trust someone instantly, or it's a slow build, losing trust is almost always instant. In a split second, it's gone. Blaine lost Kurt's trust the day he lied to him about Sebastian. And while Kurt has forgiven him, he can't fully trust him again yet. And he feels like Blaine is trying to rush it.

Kurt's trust with Kevin isn't instant. He feels like he can trust him but not totally with his deep dark secrets yet. That is why Kurt agreed to some uninterrupted time with him. They really need to get to know each other on a deeper level. Kurt is looking forward to it.

"Kurt? You're not sleeping are you?" Kevin whispered as he slowly stepped into the room.

Kurt turned his head towards him and smiled. "No, I was thinking about you actually."

This caused Kevin to smile. "Really? What about?"

"Well, I was thinking about how right you were about needing some time together. You're right. It will be good for us."

"That's actually what I came in to talk to you about. How would you feel about going away for a few days?" Kevin saw the look on Kurt's face and continued. "No pressure. I just thought that since I have the next few days off and well, you won't be able to go into the office since you'll be back in your wheelchair until your ribs get better, it might be a good idea to go somewhere."

Kurt thought for a moment. Kevin had a point. Getting out of the city for a few days might be nice. It would give them a chance to really connect and maybe it would be good for Kurt's health. He could use some total relaxation to help heal his ribs. "Where were you thinking we could go?"

"My folks have a cabin about 90 minutes north of the city. It's really peaceful and beautiful out there. In the hopes you said yes, I already checked with them and they said it's free for me to use as I please. What do you say?"

Kurt nodded. "Let's do it."

Kevin did this adorable little hop. "Perfect! I'll go make sure everything is taken care of and we can leave right after you're released tomorrow. Sound good?"

"Yes, sounds great." Kurt felt good about this. Oh wait… "Kevin? Don't think for a moment you're going to try to pack for me. We will be stopping by my place so I can pack a bag before we leave."

Kevin smiled. "Yes, sir!"

* * *

Blaine rushed through his shower and got into the office as quickly as he could. Emily informed him when arrived that he had about 45 minutes before Liam Newman showed up. Blaine thought that was perfect. It would give him a chance to go over his notes again to ensure he asked Liam the right questions. Blaine knew that this was the only potential witness to what happened to Kurt – or at least the only person who might have seen what the attackers looked like.

Just under an hour later, Emily notified Blaine that Mr. Newman had arrived. Blaine walked out into the firm's waiting room. "Mr. Newman, it's a pleasure to finally meet you. I'm Blaine Anderson. Won't you please join me in my office?"

Liam Newman smiled politely, shook Blaine's outstretched hand and followed him back into his office. Once Blaine closed the door behind him Liam spoke up. "Look, Mr. Anderson…"

"Blaine, please call me Blaine, Mr. Newman."

Well, in that case Blaine, you can call me Liam. But as I was about to tell you, I know why you've been trying to get in touch with me. I didn't see the guys that beat up your client."

Blaine chuckled. "Well you referred to them as male. So that right there eliminates 50% of New York's population."

Liam smiled. "Well the truth is, I'm not sure they were male."

Blaine frowned. "Why don't you tell me what you do know? What do you remember from that day? Any tiny detail might help…even if you didn't witness the attack itself."

"The paper said they thought it was a hate crime. Is that true?"

Hmm, Blaine really hoped that wouldn't affect Liam's assistance but decided to be honest about it. "Yes, Liam, It was. Mr. Hummel is gay and the NYPD assumed he was attacked because of that fact." Blaine paused. "Does that bother you?"

Liam looked Blaine in the eyes. "Yes, it bothers me. But not for the reason you might think. I'm straight, but my cousin is gay. I would hate for anything like that to happen to him just because of the gender he falls in love with."

Blaine smiled. "I'm glad to hear that. Now, the first question I have is whether or not the NYPD ever questioned you. They know that you were the one who called 911 – and informed Mr. Hummel's father that his son had been hurt."

"They took my statement but they didn't ask any further questions."

That made Blaine's blood boil. Some detectives…ha! "Ok. Why don't you tell me what happened."

Liam sat up a little straighter in his seat. "Well, I was walking home from work and there's this alley I always cut through to get home. I know it's not the safest way to get home but it is faster. Anyway, when I turned the corner I saw two males – I think they were male – running around the corner at the far end of the alley. I didn't think anything of it at the time. People are always running around in the city. I took a few more steps and that's when I saw him. He was lying unconscious, bleeding from his head and I could tell instantly from the way his leg was bent that it was broken. I knelt down and I heard a man's voice coming from the phone that was lying next to him. I picked it up and figured out it was the guy's dad. I told him what I saw and he asked me if I had my own cell phone and if so, to call 911 from it. So, that's what I did. I stuck around long enough for the paramedics to arrive. The NYPD showed up, took my statement and then told me I was free to go. They said they'd contact me if they had any other questions. But, I've never heard from them since."

Blaine thought for a moment. It really wasn't a lot to go on. Maybe if he dug a little deeper, he could find something that could help. "Where do you work?"

"Lenmen's Coffee Shop..down on 57th."

"Ok, and you said you always take that alley home from work?"

"Yeah."

Blaine was thinking about the direction Kurt must have been coming from. "Liam, do you know where The House of Rosaline Spencer is?"

"Yeah. I'm not big on fashion myself, but my girlfriend loves their stuff. Too bad she can't afford any of it though."

"Where is it in relation to where you work?"

"Uh, it's about 10 blocks north maybe…could be 12 blocks north."

"So, if Mr. Hummel lives downtown would you assume that he would have passed Lenmen's Coffee Shop if he were heading home from the fashion house?"

"If he was heading home from there, he most definitely passed the coffee shop."

Ok, maybe Blaine was getting somewhere. Liam would know some of the area that Kurt passed though. Maybe some of the stores they both would have passed would give Blaine a clue as to where the attackers came from. Unless they'd been following Kurt for a while. Then that might not help. To hell with it…Blaine was willing to try anything. "Liam. What can you tell me about some of the stores you pass on your way from work to that alley?"

Liam thought that was a strange question. "Um, well not much really. Let's see. There's a couple of music stores, about a dozen clothing stores, a few tourist shops, a bank, and a jewelry store. That's really all I can think of off of the top of my head. I can take a look when I go back to work on Tuesday."

Blaine thought for a moment. A bank and a jewelry store…the light bulb went off! They would most likely have security cameras. Banks definitely have one on an ATM. Maybe, just maybe one of those cameras caught something that would help identify Kurt's attackers. "Liam, how close to the alley is the bank?"

Liam thought for a moment. "I think it's right on the corner of the alley."

Blaine jumped up from behind his desk. "Liam, you've been a huge help! My guess is that the bank probably has a security camera that hopefully points to the street. It might just show me who attacked my client."

* * *

Kurt was released early the next morning. Kevin met him in the hospital room and wheeled him down to the parking area. Kurt was going to go home and take a nap (because no one ever got a good night's sleep in a hospital) and then pack a bag for his and Kevin's first weekend away. Kevin helped Kurt get up to the third floor. As soon as Kurt opened the door to his apartment, he took a sharp intake of breath.

"What's wrong, Kurt? Are you in pain?"

Kurt took a look around his apartment, then looked back at Kevin. "No, I'm fine. Just tired. Thanks for helping me upstairs. Why don't you go back to your place and get yourself packed and I'll see you back here in a few hours, ok?"

"Are you sure? I mean, I don't mind staying with you. I could help you pack." Kevin didn't want to leave Kurt alone. Not after what happened the last time he was alone.

"Ha! Help me pack?! A very important lesson about dating me is that you never touch my clothes!" Kurt laughed.

Kevin laughed back. "Yeah, yeah, yeah."

"No, Kevin. I'm serious. I'm a fashion designer, remember? My clothes is my art!" Kurt smiled at him. "Seriously, I'll be fine. I want to take a nap and then I'll pack a bag and we'll be ready to hit the road. I'll call you when I wake up from my nap." Kurt really wanted to be alone.

"Ok. Promise you'll call if you need anything at all." Kevin leaned in and gave Kurt a small peck on the lips. "I'll see you in a few hours." With that, Kevin turned and walked out the door, leaving Kurt alone in his apartment.

He took a look around…seeing Blaine's presence everywhere. Blaine had never lived here and none of Blaine's belongings were here but Kurt could feel him. Kurt knew what his apartment looked like when he and Blaine had left for the hospital yesterday morning. And it clearly didn't look like this. Blaine must have cleaned up when he returned for Kurt's cell phone. Everything was in its place. No, Kurt was obviously not a slob, but stuff had been knocked around when he'd fallen and subsequently crawled across his living room floor. Kurt couldn't believe Blaine had done this. Yet another thing he took care of that Kurt didn't even know needed taken care of. Kurt pulled his cell out of his pocket and dialed Blaine's number. He wanted to thank him for everything he'd done yesterday but also, he hadn't spoken to Blaine since Kevin had argued with him.

After three rings, "Kurt?"

"Yeah, hey Blaine. You're not busy are you? I'm not bothering you am I?" Kurt hadn't stopped to think that maybe Blaine didn't want to talk to him.

"No, you're not bothering me."

"Oh, ok. Well, uh, I just wanted to let you know that I'm home from the hospital." This conversation was a little awkward.

"Ok, that's great, Kurt." Blaine could tell Kurt was holding something back. "Is there something specific you wanted?"

"No…well, yes. I just wanted to thank you for cleaning up my place after I made a wreck of it when I fell."

"It was nothing, Kurt. When I went to get your phone I noticed things were still in disarray and I knew you'd be coming home with your wheelchair. I thought it might be easier to get around if everything was back in its proper place."

"You picked up my designs off of the floor and neatly stacked them…"

Blaine interrupted him. "That wasn't a problem was it? I mean, I know how important your designs are and I didn't want you wheeling all over them. But, I also know that sometimes you work in controlled chaos so I hope they weren't lying around in a specific way that I went and fucked up."

"No! I'm glad you picked them up because I would have been wheeling all over them!" Kurt laughed. "Once again you took care of something for me that I didn't even know needed taken care of." Kurt thought it felt nice having someone know him as well as Blaine knew him. He hoped that someday Kevin would know him just as well.

"Like I said, Kurt. It was really no big deal. It didn't take me long. It wasn't like it was a disaster. I just thought it would be nice for you to come home and not have to worry about cleaning up the mess you made."

"Well, again, thank you. For everything you did yesterday. And while I've got you on the phone, I want to say I'm sorry as well."

"I told you to stop apologizing, Kurt."

"No," Kurt began. "I'm sorry for Kevin. I know you two got into an argument yesterday. I don't know exactly what was said, but if he said anything inappropriate, I'm sorry."

Blaine thought it was interesting that Kurt was apologizing for Kevin's behavior. "Kurt. I'm going to be 100% honest with you right now. Kevin felt like I was stepping on his toes…trying to show him up. And he implied that maybe I was trying a little too hard to win you back. But the truth is, I'm not a boyfriend stealer, Kurt. I love you. And I always will. But you're dating Kevin. And, no, I don't like it but it's your life and your decisions. I love you. And loving you, means sacrificing my happiness and wants for yours."

Kurt's breath had been taken away by Blaine's statement. "I thought you said you'd always fight for me." Kurt wasn't even sure why he said that. It would be easier to connect with Kevin if Blaine stepped back. After all, isn't that why he and Kevin were going out of town for a few days? For some uninterrupted time?

"Oh, I'm still fighting for you, Kurt. It's just on a different level right now."

"You mean my attack?"

Blaine nodded his head even though Kurt couldn't see him. "Yes. I wasn't going to tell you but I have a lead. It might not be anything and I don't want to get your hopes up, or jinx it, but I have a lead. I'm going to try to follow up on it over the next day or two. If things pan out, I might need you to come into the office to look at some evidence."

Kurt did not want to tell Blaine that he was going out of town with Kevin. "You already know what happened from my point of view. I didn't see anything."

"Well maybe you just don't know if you saw something. Anyway, it might not be anything but I'm going to hit it first thing tomorrow morning and see how this pans out. I'm assuming you won't be going back into the office tomorrow since you're back in your wheelchair right?"

Kurt had called his boss earlier this morning and informed her of what happened to him. She was more than fine with him staying at home for another week. He didn't mention that he was going out of town for a few days. Kevin had wanted zero distractions while they were at the cabin but Kurt insisted that he bring his laptop and continue to work. They had a slight argument but this was Kurt's career and he was not going to take advantage of his time away from the office when he was just getting his big break.

"Uh, no. I won't be going into the office. Just give me a call if you need to. I'll make sure to have my phone on." Kurt knew that Kevin would be upset if he knew that he hadn't told Blaine he would be out of contact for the next few days. But, Kurt didn't feel it was necessary to hurt Blaine like that and as Blaine had pointed out, this lead he had involving Kurt's assault might not turn into anything at all.

"Ok, I'll be in touch then. I'm gonna let you go. You sound tired and since you slept in the hospital last night I'm gonna go out on a limb and assume you didn't get much sleep. Go take a nap. Call me if you need anything, Kurt." Blaine couldn't put a finger on it, but he felt something shift in Kurt. Maybe it was just that Kurt was feeling like his attackers might actually be caught and that brought him some peace. Whatever it was, it made Blaine all that more determined to find the bastards that did this to him.

Once again, Blaine could read him like a book. "You're right. I am tired and I am going to take a nap. I'll talk to you later." They said their goodbyes and Kurt took himself into his bedroom and crawled into bed and had the best nap he'd ever had.

* * *

Blaine woke up extra early Monday morning. He was anxious to get into the office and get rolling on finding out if either the bank or the jewelry store had exterior security cameras pointing toward the sidewalk. He said good morning to Emily and walked into his office and turned on his computer. He knew it was too early for either the bank or jewelry store to be open but he was hoping he could see something on Google Earth…maybe one of the maps would show him if he could see any cameras stationed outside of either business. He knew it was a long shot but he couldn't sleep so staying at the loft was just driving him crazy.

He'd only been in his office for about 20 minutes (Google Earth not helping much) when his cell phone rang. It was Trevor. Blaine smiled and answered cheerfully. "Hey Trevor! Long time no talk buddy!"

"Dude, I should seriously be pissed at you! You fucking quit your job and move without telling me? What the hell, man?"

"I know, I'm really sorry! It was just so spur of the moment. Wait…how did you find out?"

"Strangely enough, I ran into your Mom. What I thought would be a moment of small talk turned into her telling me something pretty big. So, I heard about Kurt. How's he doing?"

Blaine smiled. No, he and Kurt were not together but something about last night's phone call with Kurt made him feel better. "He's doing ok. He had a minor setback yesterday – re-cracked a rib and that means he's back in a wheelchair…"

"Wheelchair?" Trevor interrupted.

"Yeah, he has a broken leg and ankle so he can't walk and the rib injury means he can't use crutches so…wheelchair it is. Anyway, I would never say that Kurt getting hurt was a good thing – ever – but, it broke me out of my father's hold and I have an awesome job here. They are so great to me and really, I couldn't be happier at the moment."

Trevor smiled. "That's great man! I guess if you're so happy then that means things between you and Kurt are going well."

Blaine chuckled. "Funny thing about that. We're not together. In fact, he's dating someone. Get this, it's the nurse that he had in the hospital."

"What? You change your entire life, quit your job and move to New York, practically on a whim, and he starts dating someone else? What the fuck, Blaine?"

"Trevor, it's ok. Kurt and I are closer than we were months ago. Hell, we weren't even talking months ago. And I knew that once I was totally honest with him regarding what really happened, or what didn't happen, with Sebastian that it would take a while for him to trust me again. But, boyfriend or not, we're getting there. He's forgiven me and I'm earning his trust and I can feel it…I'm closer than ever."

Trevor could hear hope in Blaine's voice. "Ok, spill it. There's something you're not telling me."

Blaine laughed. "Well, this new job I have? They're a prosecuting law firm. The president of the firm really likes me and gave me the green light to see if I could solve Kurt's case. You know? Find out who attacked him. Well, this weekend I found a big lead. I'm following up on it today. I told Kurt about it last night and I don't know, Trevor. Something shifted in Kurt. I could hear it in his voice. He didn't say anything to give me any kind of reason to hope, but I heard it in his voice. Sometimes he forgets how well I know him."

"Wow, that's great, Blaine. I'm sure if anyone is going to find out who attacked Kurt, it'll be you. So, where are you living? New York's kinda pricy huh?"

"Yeah, but I'm getting paid a pretty good salary. I'm actually staying in one of the law firm's company lofts. They've allowed me to stay there until I find a place. I've narrowed it down to two…" The one close to his office, and the one close to Kurt's place. "…so I'm hoping to nail one down pretty soon. But Kurt's case is my number one priority. Actually, I haven't given up my apartment in Westerville so when I do get a place of my own, I'll be coming back to officially move out. I hope I can count on your help?"

"Sure, Blaine. Besides, you know Carly will be pissed if you left forever without saying goodbye!" Trevor laughed. "Well, anyway, I'll let you get back to work. Call me soon and let me know how things are going."

Blaine agreed and after they exchanged goodbyes, he checked the time. Still too early to call either Callahan's Jewelry or The First National Bank of New York. Dammit, time was moving too slowly. Blaine dug back out his notes from his discussion with Liam Newman and the notes he took involving Kurt's side of the story. Kurt really hadn't remembered much. He wasn't surprised, he'd been attacked from behind and hit over the head with what police suspected was a baseball bat. That had knocked Kurt unconscious and then the doctors suspected either the baseball bat or one of the attackers's feet was responsible for Kurt's broken ribs. It was either being knocked to the ground or the hands of his attackers that were responsible for his broken leg, ankle and arm. Either way, with Kurt being knocked unconscious first, it was likely that he'd never even gotten a look at the men that did that to him.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, both Callahan's Jewelry Store and The First National Bank of New York had opened. Blaine called the bank first – hoping that the camera on the ATM would have caught something. He knew that every ATM had cameras that pointed at whoever was at the ATM. Blaine just hoped that it would have caught Kurt passing by in the background…along with the people that assaulted him. He also hoped that since Kurt's accident had been over a month ago, the footage hadn't been deleted. Blaine was able to get a hold of the security manager at the bank. He told Blaine that ATM footage was kept on file for three months before being deleted. Blaine was beside himself. Things were looking up.

He rushed over to the bank as quickly as he could. On his way, he decided to stop by Callahan's. He didn't see any cameras with the naked eye, but that didn't mean anything. Most high end jewelry stores had hidden cameras. He stopped in and spoke to the security manager who confirmed that there were indeed cameras that were pointed towards the entrance of the store. He knew that some of the sidewalk was captured on the camera but he was unsure of how much. Blaine asked how long they keep the footage on file. It goes back six months. He then asked him if he could go back to the afternoon in question to see if they could see anything. The security manager told him he would go back and pull the footage. Blaine thanked him and told him he'd return later.

Blaine walked over to the bank. There was a mortgage broker that approached him as he walked in the door. "Hi, my name is Blaine Anderson. I spoke with Mr. Jim Beckett earlier. He should be expecting me."

Just then Mr. Beckett walked into the bank lobby. "Mr. Anderson…" he held out his hand for Blaine for a handshake. "…Jim Beckett. I've been waiting on your arrival. Please, follow me into my office."

Jim Beckett led Blaine back into a small office just beside the vault. There were computer monitors set up all over the room. Each monitor displayed a different view of the bank. Blaine was impressed. "Wow, it looks like you've got a very tight and thorough security system."

Jim smiled. "Yes we do. I upgraded the system when I was hired four years ago. Nothing is getting past me. Now, I've pulled the ATM footage and rolled it back to the date and time you've given me. You can see a few people walking by in the background. Seeing as I'm unaware of what your client looks like, you'll have to scan the footage and tell me if you see anything you can use." Jim pulled up the tape and pressed play.

Blaine scanned the people walking by the ATM. He hadn't seen Kurt walk by yet. Someone came up to use the ATM – practically blocking the view of anyone walking by behind them. Kurt had given Blaine a pretty descriptive account of what he'd been wearing that day. He hoped that if Kurt was caught walking by the camera, there wouldn't be a person using the ATM. Just then, he saw Kurt walk by. Two men were following him, wearing dark clothes, which Blaine thought was silly. If you were going to attack someone in broad daylight, did you really need dark clothing? Unfortunately, someone was using the ATM at the time and you could not get a good look at the faces of the two men.

"Shit!" Blaine looked over at Jim. "I apologize for my language. You can't get a good look at the men following him. It's circumstantial. The DA would never arrest based on this video." Blaine felt hopeless for the first time since he'd begun working on this case.

Jim looked over at him. "I was afraid of that. Which is why…" Jim paused for dramatic effect. "…I pulled the footage from a camera that we have pointed at the ATM. There wasn't a camera pointed at the ATM before I revamped the system. You never know when you might need another angle, right?" Blaine just looked at him shocked. Jim laughed and inserted the other video tape. "The camera is positioned higher up on the building so we might not be able to get a close up, but it is pointed in the direction you need. You should be able to get a clear look at your client, plus the two men following him."

Jim played the tape and Blaine scanned the video until he saw Kurt come into frame. Kurt was talking on his phone and he looked happy. Blaine was in awe. He was witnessing the moment Kurt was telling his Dad how well his meeting had gone. He looked like he didn't have a care in the world. Just as Blaine was getting lost in Kurt's happiness, Blaine noticed the men following Kurt. "Stop the tape!" Blaine practically shouted.

Jim stopped the tape. "Yeah, I see them. Right behind your client. The vantage point is a little high up so it's not a very clear image."

"No, it's not but you can at least see their faces. Could I get a copy of this? I know you don't have to give it to me without a warrant but…"

"You know what?" Jim asked. "I've learned in life, it's not what you know but who you know. And I have a friend that works in the CSI department within the NYPD. I'm going to give this tape to him and see if he can clean it up a bit. Maybe we can get a clearer image."

"Oh that would be fantastic! Thank you so much."

"No, problem, Mr. Anderson. I'll give you a call when I get the tape back. I should be able to get it to you by tomorrow."

"Thank you, Mr. Beckett. Thank you." Blaine shook his hand again and left the bank.

He felt like he was on cloud nine. Hopefully the CSI would be able to get a clear image of the two men on that tape. Blaine stopped in Callahan's after leaving the bank. A sales lady approached him offering assistance. "Hi, I'm Blaine Anderson and I spoke with Mr. Hightower earlier about a security issue."

The saleswoman left and brought Mr. Hightower back with her. "Mr. Anderson. You're right on time. I just finished getting the footage ready. I'm not sure what your client looks like but I think you'll be pretty happy with the findings. Follow me."

Blaine followed Mr. Hightower into a back room. The jewelry store didn't have quite as high tech a security department as the bank, but it was pretty thorough as well. Blaine took a seat in front of computer and waited for Mr. Hightower to bring up the tape. "I appreciate you doing this for me on such short notice, Mr. Hightower."

He smiled back at Blaine. "I remember reading about the assault in the paper when it happened. It caught my eye because it happened right here. If I can help bring justice to your client, then I'm happy to help. Now, here we go. I pulled the tape up to two men I thought looked pretty suspicious. They were following very closely behind a gentleman that was talking on his phone. Tell me if this is who you are looking for." Mr. Hightower pressed play.

Immediately Kurt showed up on screen, followed closely behind the same two men he saw on the camera from the bank's footage. "Yes, that's him. That's exactly who I'm looking for! Oh, wow. This is a really clear image." It was a different view than that from the bank. The bank got a view from straight on, while this view was from the profile. But it was very clear. Maybe after getting a cleaner image from the bank, in addition to this one, they'd be able to ID the guys that did this.

Mr. Hightower quickly made a copy for Blaine to take with him. Blaine knew that the DA would need more to go on than video of two men following Kurt. There was no actual footage of the attack itself but maybe he could show the tapes to Kurt and he might recognize them. Or maybe someone else would recognize them. Blaine didn't know exactly what would come next, but he knew that for the first time in a long time, he felt like everything was going his way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know some of you are not going to like that Kurt chose to give Kevin a chance here. But Blaine is feeling Kurt's shift so you guys should too (hint, hint).
> 
> Oh, and I am not a lawyer, nor have any clue how any of this law stuff really works so I am taking liberties in order to push the story forward in the way that I need it to. So whatever I say in upcoming chapters...just go with it. This is fiction after all. :)
> 
> Next up: Kurt and Kevin are at the cabin and it's not exactly paradise. Also, Kurt see what Blaine has on video.
> 
> My plans for next weekend are up in the air. I might be posting next Saturday (21 Feb) instead of Sunday. Not sure yet. At any rate, you'll get the next update next weekend. Enjoy!!


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've got another long one for you today! And yes, Kurt is a little bitchy in this chapter. But writing bitchy Kurt is kinda fun!
> 
> Mistakes are mine.
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Kurt woke up Monday morning feeling conflicted. He rolled over and saw a long stemmed red rose lying on the pillow next to him. Kevin had already woken up and when Kurt smelled bacon cooking, he knew exactly where Kevin was.

They arrived to the cabin yesterday later than they expected. Kurt had taken a very long nap and Kevin had promised that he wouldn't call Kurt and wake him up so when Kurt finally woke up, he realized that he'd been sleeping for four hours. Kurt called and apologized for sleeping so long and began packing. Anyone who knows Kurt Hummel knows that packing for him is no easy task. By the time they were in Kevin's car and headed out of the city, the sun had begun to set.

The drive was nice. Kevin was right; the cabin was about an hour north. They stopped for some groceries and upon arriving to the cabin, Kurt cooked dinner under the agreement that Kevin would cook breakfast. Cooking dinner turned into a somewhat romantic experience because Kevin had to steady him so he wouldn't lose his balance and Kevin would steal a kiss every now and then. They ate, shared a bottle of wine and listened to soft music. It was nice. They managed to learn more about one another. Kurt began to get a little nervous as bedtime was approaching. They had not had sex yet and Kurt was nowhere near ready for sex yet – physically or emotionally. But, Kurt knew there was only one bed in the cabin so he knew they would be sharing a bed. Kurt had no idea what Kevin's expectations were. Other than the two of them making out a few nights ago (which caused Kurt to run out on Kevin because he was picturing Blaine), they had not advanced beyond kissing.

"You look a little tired, Kurt. Are you thinking about heading to bed?" Kevin asked.

Kurt looked at Kevin. He didn't look tired in the slightest. "Um, I'm ok. We can stay out here by the fire for a little while longer."

Kevin smiled at Kurt. "If that's really what you want to do, then I'm fine with that. But, let me be clear about something. I have no intentions of pressuring you into something you're not ready for. I'm aware that there's only one bed here. We don't have to do anything you're not ready for. Besides, you've still got cracked ribs. Even if you were ready for…something…I'm not sure it would be wise. I don't want you to cause any further injury to yourself."

Kurt smiled back. "Thank you. I am a little tired actually. Would you mind helping me?"

"Absolutely." Kevin had to admit to himself that he was a little disappointed that Kurt didn't even indicate that he was interested in moving their relationship along a little further. No, Kevin wasn't expecting sex tonight (though he wouldn't have said no), a little something more would have been nice. But, he would never pressure Kurt.

Kevin helped Kurt out of his wheelchair and allowed Kurt to lean on him and walk into the bathroom where Kurt got to work on his moisturizing routine. Kevin sat on the bed, reading a magazine, chuckling to himself about how seriously Kurt took skin care. Twenty minutes later, Kurt hopped into the bedroom and settled in next to Kevin.

Kurt shifted a bit to get under the covers, said goodnight to Kevin, gave him a peck on the lips and rolled over, his back facing Kevin. Kevin was a little more than disappointed at Kurt's behavior. No, he wasn't expecting sex, but a little more than a peck for a goodnight kiss would have been nice. Kevin signed and turned off the lights.

Kurt heard Kevin sigh. He knew what it was about. He had to be disappointed that not only did Kurt give him a small peck on the lips, but he turned away from him, indicating that he didn't want to cuddle. The truth was, Kurt didn't feel like cuddling. Having a cast on your arm, leg and ankle, plus a broken rib, made cuddling not only difficult but also uncomfortable. That wasn't the only reason though. Sure, dinner had been nice. They had spent quite a bit of time talking, getting to know each other better. But, they had only been dating a couple of weeks. Kurt felt like it was too early in their relationship to have gone away together. He didn't feel ready for the inevitable pressure that came with going out of town together. While Kevin might totally disagree, Kurt felt like this was moving too fast.

So, here he was, lying in bed Monday morning, hearing and smelling breakfast being made in the other room, and he had no idea what to do. If he were being honest with himself, he wanted to go back home. There was no TV here to distract himself – hell, he was lucky they had an internet connection. Internet! Thankfully, Kurt had placed his laptop next to the bed when he was unpacking yesterday. He leaned over, pulled it onto his lap and logged on. Kurt smiled when he saw he had an email from Paul Brewer. He opened it and saw that he had attached some designs that Paul was working on and wanted Kurt to add some 'flare'. Kurt smiled even bigger. He loved it when Paul asked Kurt to add some flare. That was Paul's way of saying he liked what he'd designed, but felt like it was missing something. He trusted Kurt to add that missing piece.

Kevin had just finished cooking breakfast when he looked over at the clock for the third time that morning. He didn't intend for them to have slept for so long. It was almost afternoon. In fact, he probably should have cooked something for lunch rather than breakfast. He pulled out a tray – intending to bring Kurt breakfast in bed – when he heard the sound of a muffled phone ringing. He turned to find out where it was coming from. It didn't take him long to find Kurt's phone in the pocket of his jacket, which he'd placed on the arm of the sofa. He pulled it out and was just about to call to Kurt that his phone was ringing when he saw Blaine's name on the caller ID. Kevin sighed and declined the call. He then turned Kurt's phone off and put it back in Kurt's jacket pocket. "I don't think so Blaine." Kevin whispered to himself. "You're not interrupting our alone time together. I'm tired of you coming in between Kurt and me. This stops now." Kevin smiled to himself and prepared the plates on the tray for breakfast.

He walked down the hall, tray in hands and a smile on his face. When he pushed open the bedroom door with his foot, the sight before him caused his smile to disappear. He was hoping that Kurt would still be sleeping and he'd be able to wake him by peppering his face with light kisses. Instead, Kurt was wide awake and obviously working, if his laptop being on was any indication. By the look on Kurt's face, it seemed as though he were heavily immersed in his work as well. Kevin cleared his throat. "Good morning, Kurt."

Kurt barely looked up. "Oh, good morning."

"Kuuuuurt…please put your laptop away. I've got breakfast." Kevin realized he sounded a bit whiny.

Kurt sighed. "Just a second, Kevin. Paul sent me this piece that needed some flare. I've almost got it finished. Thank God for this new software. This is so much better than sketching and scanning."

"Flare? Kurt, I have no idea what you're talking about but what I do know is that I've got a hot breakfast here and if you don't eat it now, it's gonna get cold."

Kurt looked up at Kevin again. "Kevin, I said I was almost done. Just give me one minute."

"Kurt!" Kevin shouted, causing Kurt to look startled. "Sorry. It's just that I worked hard on this breakfast and you don't even seem to appreciate the effort I put into it. All I'm asking for is for you to eat it while it's hot." Kevin was still holding the tray in his hands.

"Um, ok. I'll eat the hot breakfast." Kurt was irritated that he'd been shouted at. He set his laptop aside and folded his hands in his lap.

Kevin sat down on the bed next to him, placing the tray over Kurt's lap. He looked over at Kurt and smiled. "I'm sorry I shouted. I just really was hoping for some uninterrupted time over these next few days. You're already distracted by your work and we haven't even been here 24 hours." Kevin knew that part of his irritation was due to the fact that Blaine had tried calling.

Kurt sighed. He knew that he and Kevin had already argued about Kurt bringing his laptop with him. But Kurt was not about to apologize again. He was in a very big transitional period at work and he was at a big disadvantage that he could not be at work due to his injuries. He was extremely grateful that his boss was kind enough to be as graceful as she was about allowing him to work from home.

"Yes, Kevin. I know you wanted some uninterrupted time. So, you keep saying. But as I've stated before, just because I can't go into the office right now does not mean I have all this time off. The Brewer Mensware line is heating up and I don't think you realize what a big deal it is that they're asking for my input." Kurt ran his fingers through his hair, clearly frustrated.

"You're right. I don't know what it's like. I don't understand why it's so stressful to draw for a living!" Kevin was beyond irritated now.

Kurt was astounded. "Draw?! Did you just say I DRAW for a living?"

"Yes, Kurt I did! It's not like someone's life is in your hands! I deal with life and death everyday! Remember, how we met? You had been beaten?" Kevin was shouting.

"You know what Kevin? Fuck you!" Kurt yelled back. "I'm not hungry anymore!" Kurt pushed the tray off the bed, sending it crashing to the floor.

Kevin stared back at Kurt. "I cannot believe you just did that! I worked hard on that breakfast and now it's all over the floor!"

"Well, I guess you'd better get started on cleaning it up!" Kurt pulled his laptop back onto his lap and began working again. He wished he could storm out of the bedroom and slam the door. Damn his broken leg and ankle!

Kevin sat and stared at Kurt for a moment. He could see the anger on Kurt's face. He realized that maybe he'd stepped over the line by saying that Kurt drew for a living. But, really? Isn't that what he did? Kevin didn't understand anyone's obsession with fashion. Put on a pair of jeans and a tee shirt and Kevin was a happy guy. Kevin was glad he wore scrubs to work every day. He didn't have to worry about what he put on in the morning.

Kevin slowly got off of the bed and walked into the kitchen, gathering the supplies he'd need to clean up the breakfast that was now on the floor. He briefly thought about apologizing when he returned into the bedroom, but the thought against it. Kevin felt like he was constantly fighting for Kurt's attention. First he was battling Blaine. Now, Kurt's work. He would never ask Kurt to give up his career. But he couldn't understand why Kurt couldn't understand why all Kevin was asking for was some alone time. He really wanted to connect with Kurt. He felt like they could be really happy together if Kurt would just give him a chance. Kevin couldn't place it, but something in Kurt shifted after he reinjured his rib. Kevin couldn't help but wonder if it was because Blaine had been the one to come to his rescue when Kevin had been unavailable.

He walked back into the bedroom, Kurt still hard at work – focusing on nothing but his laptop. Kevin got a little angrier as he scrubbed the carpet. He felt like Kurt should be the one to apologize. He just wanted to get closer to Kurt. Why was that so hard for Kurt to understand? Kurt wanted to be with him right? "You know, it wouldn't hurt you to apologize, Kurt."

Kurt looked down at him, fury in his eyes. "Excuse me? Me, apologize? You must be out of your mind."

"I'm not out of my mind. I just wanted to have a few days where we could relax. Connect. And, I thought a nice, hot breakfast would be a good start. You didn't have to throw it on the floor." Kevin's tone had softened.

Kurt noticed Kevin's soft tone. He sighed. "You're right. I'm sorry for throwing the food on the floor. I wanted to storm out but that's not really an option for me at the moment." He smiled a very small smile at Kevin. "Can you please just promise me you won't refer to my career as drawing ever again? I know you don't understand fashion design or why it's so important to me, but it's my career and it's my passion."

Kevin got up on his knees and positioned himself right in front of Kurt. "Yes, I can promise you that. I'm sorry I insulted your career. I know it's important to you and it's a passion of yours. I just don't want it to be your only passion. I'm hoping I can be one of those too." Kevin closed the space between them and pressed his lips to Kurt's. He brushed his tongue along Kurt's lips, hoping to deepen the kiss.

Kurt allowed Kevin to deepen the kiss. Their tongues danced together for a few moments. Kurt suddenly felt like something was off. He backed away from the kiss, seeing the look of disappointment on Kevin's face. "Um, I haven't brushed my teeth yet. Sorry."

Kevin smiled through his disappointment. "It's ok. Let me help you into the bathroom." Kevin helped Kurt out of bed and into the bathroom. "Are you hungry?" Kurt nodded sheepishly – obviously feeling guilty for throwing a perfectly good breakfast onto the floor. "Ok, well I'm not going to cook again so how about I run into town and pick something up?"

Kurt nodded. "That would be great. I'm just going to get cleaned up. God, I look forward to getting all of these freaking casts off so I can take an actual shower instead of these stupid sponge baths."

"I can help you with that if you'd like." Kevin winked at Kurt.

Kurt smiled back. "Thanks, but I can handle it. And, before you ask, I'll be just fine while you're out picking up lunch."

"I'm sure you will be, but I'll hurry back. Anything particular you'd like?"

Kurt thought for a moment. "Uh, no. Just no fast food." Kurt smiled.

"Your wish is my command." Kevin turned and left the room. After another moment, Kurt heard the front door to the cabin open and close and the car start.

Once Kurt was sure he was alone, he took his clothes off and began to bathe himself as thoroughly as he could under the circumstances. Kurt brushed his teeth and then hobbled back into the bedroom. He sat on the bed and looked at his laptop. Suddenly a thought occurred to him. He knew exactly what this particular design needed. But he knew that the only way to accurately describe it would be through a phone call with Paul. He looked on the nightstand for his phone. It wasn't there. Ah, he remembered he'd left it in his jacket. He shifted from the bed to his wheelchair and went into the living room. He found his jacket and pulled his phone out. As he powered it on, he thought it was strange that it was off. Once his phone came to full power he noticed that he had a new voicemail.

He listened as Blaine's voice came through the phone. " _Kurt, its Blaine. I told you I'd call you if there was a development in your case. Well, I was able to obtain two videos to show you, with two men walking suspiciously close behind you – one of which is carrying a baseball bat. I know you said you don't remember anything but I've got their faces on these videos. Their faces, Kurt! I'd really like if you can stop by my office as soon as you can, preferably today. Maybe seeing their faces might spark a memory. Anyway, give me a call back as soon as you get this. Talk to you later. Bye!_ "

Kurt had the biggest smile on his face. He could hear the excitement in Blaine's voice. He checked the time stamp on the voicemail. Huh…that was strange. Blaine had called about 45 minutes ago. Kurt thought back in his head. That would have been when Kevin was making breakfast. Kurt was not one to think the worst in people but he knew that he didn't turn his phone off. Could Kevin have turned his cell phone off?

Just then, Kevin walked back into the cabin, carrying two bags of food. He smiled when he saw Kurt sitting in the living room. "I was just going to get a small lunch so we could save room for dinner but the fruit looked so good and I couldn't pass it up!"

Food was the last thing on Kurt's mind. "Did you turn my cell phone off?"

Kevin wasn't prepared for the question. "What?"

"You heard me. Did you turn my cell phone off?"

Kevin stammered. "No. Why would you think that?"

Kurt just looked at him – seeing right through his lie. "Um, maybe because Blaine called while you were making breakfast?"

Kevin could tell Kurt knew he was lying. "Ok, yes. I turned your phone off. It wasn't because Blaine called though. I've told you a million times, Kurt, I just wanted a quiet couple of days."

"Bullshit!" Kurt said. "I know you've had a problem with Blaine since the day we met. You didn't turn my phone off because you want us to have quiet time. You turned it off because Blaine called. I've got news for you, Kevin. I'm not cutting Blaine out of my life. Not now. Not ever. You'd better get used to that. Because if you can't, then we have a huge problem!"

Kevin looked at Kurt. "You're right! I did turn your phone off when I saw it was Blaine calling. He needs to back the fuck off! Why in the hell would he call you when he knows we're out of town together?" Kevin paused seeing the look on Kurt's face. "Wait. He doesn't know we're out of town does he?"

Kurt steeled himself. "No. He doesn't know we're out of town."

"How is he supposed to take our relationship seriously when you don't even seem to take it seriously, Kurt?"

"I'm not going to dignify that with an answer, Kevin. I mean, for God's sake, I'm here with you. What I am going to say is that we need to head back into the city. Right now."

Kevin raised his eyebrows. "Excuse me? We're not heading back into the city just because Blaine called." Kevin laughed. "Fuck that."

"You know what? Your insecurity is really unattractive. You have no idea why Blaine even called. He called because he's been working on finding out who the assholes are that beat me unconscious. Turns out, he's got them on tape and wants me to come into the office and see if I recognize either one of them."

"And why can't he email the video to you? You fought me so you could bring your laptop with you. He could email them to you and you could see if you recognize either of them and email him back. We don't need to go into the city for that." Kurt was pissed that Kevin had a point.

"No. You know what? I think this little getaway has been a bust. We haven't even been here 24 hours and we've done nothing but argue. I'm over this. I want to go home."

"Are you serious?

"Yes." With that, Kurt turned and wheeled himself back into the bedroom and began to pack. After he had packed up his belongings, he went back in the living room where Kevin had yet to move. "Look, I'm getting back into the city one way or another today. Either you're going to take me or I'm going to call Blaine and have him come and get me." Kurt knew it was a low blow but it got Kevin moving.

Once Kurt heard Kevin throwing his clothes into his suitcase, he pulled out his phone and dialed Blaine's number. Blaine answered on the first ring. "I got your message, Blaine. I'm in the middle of something but I promise, I'll get to you as soon as I can."

* * *

Blaine was pleased to hear back from Kurt. He wasn't sure how long until Kurt would be here but he was hoping it would be soon and that Kurt would recognize one of the men. Although he knew it was a long shot, it would make things so much easier. Something was off though. Blaine couldn't put his finger on it, but something in Kurt's voice was off. He sounded tense.

Blaine was fidgeting in his office. He was pacing. Kurt couldn't get here fast enough. He'd had a feeling for the past two days that things were starting to go in his direction. He wished he could pin point what it was that caused this shift in himself and Kurt. Was it when they ran into each other at Bleakers and Blaine sang the song directed at Kurt? Was it when Kurt fell and he needed Blaine to take him to the hospital? Blaine didn't care. Something good was right around the corner. Blaine could feel it.

* * *

Kevin took his time getting his things packed. He kept finding more things that needed to be done to the cabin before they could leave. The fridge needed to be emptied, as they had stocked it preparing to be there for a few days. The linen needed to be changed from the bed. The ashes needed to be cleaned out from the fireplace. That was the excuse that sent Kurt over the edge.

"Kevin! The fucking fireplace does not need to be cleaned! You are just delaying the inevitable. Don't pretend that I forgot you mentioning that your parents have caretakers that care for the cabin when your family is not using it. Let's go!"

"Kurt, I really think we should hold off on leaving until tomorrow. All you have to do is look out the window and you can see that a storm is coming."

"Oh hell no! We are leaving and we're leaving right now. I don't give a fuck about some storm that may or may not come!"

"Kurt, I'm just trying to be safe. I don't want to be on the road if the weather turns bad."

"Goddammit! I wish I could fucking drive right now!" Kurt said this more to himself than to Kevin. "Like I said, I don't give a flying fuck! You either get that car on the road headed back into the city or I will call Blaine. That is not an empty threat!"

"I don't understand what the harm is in staying one day to let the weather pass. I don't understand why you're in such a big hurry to get back to Blaine."

"I'm not in a hurry to get back to Blaine. I'm in a hurry to see the video that he has with my attackers on it. Don't you want to know who did this to me?" Kurt indicated to himself sitting in a wheelchair. "I've got broken bones, broken ribs and I suffered a head injury. I've been in the hospital twice since those bastards beat me and I'm missing out on very important time in the office…which might not mean anything to you since I only draw for a living, but it's important to me." Kurt was tired of arguing with Kevin. He just wanted to get home.

"Of course I care about finding who did this to you, Kurt. Not only for justice but for your piece of mind. I just am having a hard time understanding why Blaine can't just email the video to you instead of driving all the way back into the city when the weather's bad."

"Ok, clearly you have no intention of leaving today. So, I'm going to call Blaine and have him drive all the way out here to pick me up. We can spend the next hour fighting while we wait on his arrival." Kurt pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and started to dial.

"No! Wait! Don't call Blaine. I'll drive you back." Kevin stated with resignation in his voice. "Come on. I'll bring your luggage to the car."

They spent the first 30 minutes of the car ride in complete silence. Kurt normally didn't like uncomfortable silence but this was a welcome change from the constant fighting they'd been doing. Kurt didn't feel the need to point out that it hadn't started raining either.

Kevin sighed, breaking the silence. "Can I ask you something?" His voice was soft.

Kurt didn't want to argue anymore, and Kevin's tone indicated that he didn't either. "Sure."

"Do you want to be with me?"

Oh, Kurt hadn't expected that question. "I came out here with you didn't I?"

"That's not what I asked." Kevin waited for Kurt to say something. When he didn't, Kevin continued. "I mean, things seemed to be going well between us during the first couple of weeks. I thought we were building something great. Then we ran into Blaine at Bleakers and he sang that song and things have been different." Kevin sighed again. "I asked you, Kurt. I asked you what you wanted to do, but I also said that…"

Kurt interrupted him. "You said that I didn't have to cut Blaine out of my life. You said that you weren't asking me to quit talking to him."

"Yes, but I also said that he needed to back off. I told you that if we stood a chance of making this work, then Blaine needed to back off. Hell, Kurt, we had that discussion less than 48 hours ago. You agreed with me and that's why you agreed that we needed some time alone and agreed to come up to the cabin with me. Yet, he calls and we're running back to him."

"Kevin, I don't want to continue to have the same argument. I've told you a dozen times already that I'm not running back to HIM…"

"But aren't you? Aren't you Kurt?" Kevin paused. "Tell me the truth, once and for all. You see Blaine as your knight in shining armor and it's more than just the fact that he has video of your attack. It's that he's the one that found it. You and I both know that if this were any other attorney that had found this evidence, you wouldn't be rushing back to see it."

Kurt realized that Kevin had a point. He thought for a moment. Kevin was right. If this were any other attorney, Kurt would have asked for the videos to be emailed to him. Kurt searched within himself. If he got right down to it, Kurt didn't want Blaine to know that he'd left town with Kevin. He was very careful when he spoke with Blaine yesterday not to slip up and let him know that he was going away with Kevin. And when Blaine had called with the evidence, Kurt made sure to say that he was in the middle of something – not that he was currently out of town with Kevin. Why? Kurt knew. There were two reasons really. One was that he felt like going out of town this early in a relationship was not a good idea. He felt like they were moving too fast. And all of the arguing they'd done proved that to be true. Secondly, Kurt realized that he didn't want Blaine to know how serious his relationship with Kevin could become. If Blaine thought that things between Kurt and Kevin were serious, he might want to move on himself. He knew it was selfish but Kurt didn't want Blaine to move on. It suddenly occurred to him…if Blaine moved on then he wouldn't be available to Kurt. Why did that matter? Kurt didn't want Blaine unhappy. He wanted Blaine to be happy. Scratch that. He wanted Blaine. He just wanted Blaine.

"Kurt? You haven't said anything." Kevin thought Kurt might respond by once again insisting that he was not returning just for Blaine.

Kurt looked over at Kevin. "You know what? You're right. You're right."

"What?" Kevin hadn't expected that.

"You're right, Kevin. If this were anyone other than Blaine, I wouldn't be rushing to his office." Kurt took in a deep breath. "You don't understand the strength of our relationship. I trust him."

"He broke your heart – or so you said."

"Yes. Blaine did break my heart. But I broke his too – pretty recently as a matter of fact. That's part of falling in and out of love." Kurt paused. "You know what? You've never told me about any of your ex-boyfriends…well except for the one that hit you. What about your first love? Isn't there a part of you that can understand how hard it is to let go of your first love?"

"Sure, Kurt. I understand the bond one shares with their first love. But I'm not shortening the first getaway with my new boyfriend to rush back to see him."

Kurt sighed. "I can't do this anymore."

"I know. All of this arguing has become a little much. I think we should take a day or two to breathe. I work the night shift on Wednesday night. How about Thursday we spend the day together. Just the two of us?"

Kurt could see the New York skyline in the distance. He was glad they were almost home. He glanced at Kevin again. "No. I think you misunderstood. I meant I can't do this…" He waved his hand between the two of them. "…anymore."

"What? Kurt, no. You don't mean that. We've had a great couple of weeks. We've just been under some stress recently, what, with me wanting some alone time and you reinjuring yourself. That is bound to test any couple. I know you wanted easy and it hasn't exactly been easy but that doesn't mean it can't be. Once you've healed and we put those guys that did this to you behind bars, it'll get easy again."

Kurt felt bad for what he was doing to Kevin. "You're right about me wanting easy. I thought it would be easy to be with someone else. But, it's not. It's hard. I'm trying to force myself to feel something that I don't and force myself not to feel something that I do. If I'm being honest with myself, and with you, the truth is that I still love Blaine. And, that's what's easy. My love for Blaine is easy."

"Blaine? You said things between the two of you have always been complicated. What makes you think that will change?"

"I don't know that it will. But we're not children anymore. We run our own lives." Kurt rubbed his temples. "Kevin, look. Under different circumstances, I could have fallen in love with you. You're a great guy and you are going to make someone very happy. But I would be doing both of us a huge disservice if I tried to force myself to feel something that I don't. My heart has never really belonged to anyone other than Blaine. I'm sorry."

Kevin felt heartbroken. He wasn't totally sure why. He and Kurt had only been dating for a few weeks and he didn't feel like he was in love with him yet. He felt heartbroken at the thought of losing what they could have had. But he should have known that he could never compete with Blaine. He'd seen the way they interacted with one another in the hospital. He should have known.

As they were pulling into downtown Manhattan traffic, Kevin asked "I don't think I need to ask where you want me to drop you off do I?"

* * *

Blaine was growing antsy. He'd spoken to Kurt a few hours ago. What could he have been in the middle of that kept him from wanting to see the faces of his attackers? He'd watched the videos over and over. He was grateful that Mr. Beckett's friend in CSI had been so quick to get a cleaner copy to him. It really made it easier to see their faces from the front. Blaine wanted to memorize their faces. That way, if he'd ever see them on the streets he could repay them for what they did to Kurt.

Just then Blaine's intercom sounded. Emily's voice came across the speaker. "Mr. Anderson?" Blaine chuckled. Emily always called him Mr. Anderson when they were conducting official business but whenever they spoke about something personal she always called him Blaine. Blaine had told her to always call him Blaine. Some habits were hard to break.

"Yes, Emily?"

"Mr. Hummel and a guest are here to see you."

"Ok. I'll be right out." Mr. Hummel and guest? Guest? Oh, Kurt must have Kevin with him. Blaine's heart dropped just a bit. He wanted to share this good news with Kurt only. But, seeing as Kurt and Kevin were dating, Blaine would just have to get used to the idea that Kevin would be part of the picture anytime he had interactions with Kurt.

Blaine walked out into the lobby of the law firm. He saw Kurt, in his wheelchair, and Kevin was standing behind him. He smiled as he approached them. "Hey. Glad you could make it in today."

Kurt felt butterflies in his stomach as Blaine approached them, smiling beautifully. Kurt had decided that he wanted to focus on the video that Blaine had acquired. He didn't want to tell Blaine that he and Kevin had broken up. Not yet. He didn't want to muddle the task of putting those assholes away with questions regarding their personal lives. After this was put behind them they could discuss what comes next.

Kevin had agreed to take Kurt's luggage back to Kurt's apartment for him. After the last 24 hours, Kevin didn't feel like arguing anymore. Fighting for Kurt was a losing battle from the very beginning. Kevin agreed that it was for the best to part ways on good terms. Kurt had given Kevin his key and asked him to put it under the welcome mat in front of the door once he had dropped off his luggage.

Kevin looked up at Blaine. "Blaine. Nice to see you again." Then he looked down at Kurt. "I'll take care what we talked about earlier. Remember, call me if you need anything." He then bent down and gave Kurt a small kiss on the cheek.

Kurt smiled. "Thank you, Kevin. I appreciate it." Kurt and Blaine watched Kevin turn and leave the lobby. Kurt turned and looked at Blaine. "Well, I'm all yours. Show me what you've got."

Blaine was confused. "Kevin's not staying?"

"Uh, no. He's got some things he's got to take care of." Kurt wanted to tell Blaine about the break up. But he still felt it was best to focus on one thing at a time right now.

Blaine assumed that Kevin was planning something special for them with the way he told Kurt he'd take care of what they talked about earlier. "Oh. Ok. Well, let me take you into my office and I'll show you the videos." Blaine walked behind Kurt's wheelchair and pushed him into his office.

Blaine recounted his conversation with Liam Newman. He told him about correctly assuming that both the bank and the jewelry store would have security cameras. He told Kurt about speaking to the security managers of both businesses and how cooperative they had both been about getting Blaine copies of the tapes. Blaine saw Kurt's smile grow bigger and bigger with each passing minute. Kurt's smile was contagious. He grinned over at Kurt. "What?"

Kurt just shook his head. "Nothing. It's just that you're a genius. I mean, I never thought we'd ever come close to figuring out who did this to me. And here you are, sitting here about to show me a video with their faces." Kurt paused just to look at Blaine's face. "You really are my hero, Blaine."

That warmed Blaine's heart. "It's nothing, Kurt. I'm just doing my job."

Kurt scoffed. "Says the man that convinced his boss to let him do this…I'd say your bosses might disagree."

"You know what I mean, Kurt. I told you I'd fight for you, didn't I? I mean, if I'm not going to do this for you, then who is? I'm just glad I'm in the position where I can do this for you." Blaine smiled over at him.

"You're always taking care of things. I don't know what I'd do without you." Kurt sighed, desperately wanting to grab Blaine in his arms and never let him go. But, first things first.

"Well…" Blaine said "…now that we're friends again, you'll never have to know the answer to that question." There was a moment that passed between them. If Blaine didn't know better, he would have thought he saw lust in Kurt's eyes. Blaine cleared his throat. "So? Ready to see the videos?" Blaine inserted the DVD into the player.

"Wait!"

"What's wrong?"

Kurt shook his head. "It's just that I'm about to see the faces of the assholes that did this to me. I really never thought this day would come. I'm about to look in their eyes. I don't know if I'm ready for that." Kurt paused. "I mean, I could have died, Blaine. I could have died. They grabbed me from behind and hit me over the head with a baseball bat. They broke my ribs. They broke my arm and my leg and my ankle. I suffered from a concussion. I was unconscious for four days. I'm in a fucking wheelchair, Blaine. I mean, I know I'm lucky and as soon as my broken bones heal I'll be as good as new again but I'm in a wheelchair right now." Kurt felt the tears coming. "I can't do anything for myself. Someone always has to help me. I hate it! I can't even take a shower with all these stupid casts! I miss my independence. I miss being me."

Blaine walked over and grabbed Kurt's hands in his. "Look, if you're not ready to see this, then that's fine. I understand. These videos will be here tomorrow and the day after that and the day after that. We can look at them whenever you're ready. Whatever you need…I'm here for you."

Kurt squeezed Blaine's hands back. Their eyes met and Kurt knew that Blaine would always be there for him. He was glad that he'd decided not to have the videos emailed to him. He relished in Blaine's comforting presence. "Ok." He said softly. "I'm ready."

Blaine reluctantly let go of Kurt's hands and walked over to the DVD player. He was going to show Kurt the video from the bank – the one that Mr. Beckett's CSI friend had cleaned up. He pressed play and just watched. He didn't say a word, just watched Kurt as he took in the images playing before him.

Suddenly, Kurt shouted. "Stop! Him! That guy! The one on the left, without the baseball bat! I know him! I know who that is!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there you go! Kurt recognizes someone! Yay! And with Kurt and Kevin's breakup - we're one step closer to what you're all waiting for! :) There will be more Klaine interaction in the next chapter.
> 
> Oh, and I think my updates will be on Saturdays from now on. Hope that's okay! :)
> 
> See ya next week!


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh man, as soon as I say I'm gonna update on Saturday I don't. Sorry guys. But if it's any consolation, I've got a long chapter here for you! Enjoy some Klaine interaction! :)
> 
> Mistakes are all mine.
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Kurt's sudden outburst startled Blaine. "Are you sure? Are you sure you know who that is, Kurt?"

Kurt looked up at Blaine. "I'm about 95% positive. I'll have to go into the office to double check, but I'm pretty sure that's Kayla's boyfriend. Um, I think she said his name is Jace. I've seen his picture sitting in her cubicle."

"Kayla? Is that one of your co-workers?"

Kurt snorted. "You could say that. I mean, yes, she works at Spencer's but I wouldn't exactly call her a…" Kurt stopped, his eyes going wide.

"Kurt? What? What is it?" Blaine could see Kurt's eyes widen.

"We were competitors, Blaine." Kurt stopped, as if that alone would answer all of Blaine's questions.

"Aren't all fashion designers competitors in some sense? Even if they do work for the same fashion house?"

"Yeah, but not all of us were up for the same promotion. Ms. Spencer had looked at Kayla's designs the day before she looked at mine. Apparently her designs did not warrant the promotion like mine did."

Blaine took in the look on Kurt's face, realization hitting him. "Kurt? Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"If you think I'm saying that Jace beat me up because I got the promotion instead of his girlfriend, then yes, I'm saying what you think I'm saying."

Blaine sighed. "Good Lord, is the fashion industry really that cut throat?"

"Blaine, you have no idea."

"Ok, explain something to me then, if Ms. Spencer didn't think Kayla's designs were good enough then what would she accomplish by having you attacked?" Blaine was having trouble understanding the logic.

Kurt thought for a moment. "Well, I'm not sure exactly. I mean, Kayla was very confident going into her meeting with Ms. Spencer. She thought she had it in the bag. We weren't super close friends or anything but our cubicles were right next to each other so we carried on civil conversations. When she came out of her meeting with Ms. Spencer she was devastated. I tried to comfort her but she pushed me away. Maybe she just didn't want comfort but maybe…maybe since she knew that my meeting was the next day…maybe she assumed I was going to get it."

Blaine took in Kurt's comments. "So, maybe she thought if you were out of commission, Ms. Spencer would offer the promotion to someone else?"

"Maybe? I don't know. Two fatal flaws in her plan though…one is that she didn't bank on Ms. Spencer being so great and allowing me to work from home and two…she didn't bank on me surviving."

"Kurt! Don't say that!" Blaine didn't like thinking about how much worse Kurt could have been hurt.

"It's true, Blaine. I was hit over the head with a baseball bat! I was unconscious for four days! I could have easily died. Either that or I could have woken up a completely different person."

Blaine knew that Kurt was right. "Ok. Well do you want to look at the other tape?"

Kurt shook his head. "No. I don't need to see it to know that's who that is." Kurt took a good look at the TV screen, the image paused. "I don't know who the other guy is though."

"It doesn't matter. I guarantee you once the NYPD questions Jace, he'll turn on the other guy. We'll find out who he is."

Kurt took in a deep breath. "So, what happens now?"

"Well…" Blaine said. "…I need you to be 100% sure that is Jace…not 95% sure. So, we should take a road trip to your office. You'll need to be very nonchalant though. No one needs to know you're there to check out the picture on Kayla's desk. We'll just say you're there to pick something up. Then once you're 100% sure, we'll contact the NYPD and let them do what they need to do."

"Will they arrest him?"

"They'll probably pick him up on suspicion. Hopefully, he'll confess when they interrogate him." Blaine felt lighter. They were getting somewhere.

"What about Kayla? And what will the charges be?"

"Well, with Kayla, it depends on her participation. If she knew about it, she could be charged as an accessory. As far as Jace and his little friend there…they'll most likely be charged with Assault with a Deadly Weapon – which carries considerable jail time. Although, I'd like the DA to look at your medical files from when you were in the hospital – maybe talk to your doctor. Depending on what comes from that, they could be charged with Attempted Murder."

Kurt's eyes got even wider. "Attempted Murder?" There was a hint of fear in his voice.

Blaine picked up on it. He knelt in front of Kurt and grabbed his hands. "Kurt. I'm representing you as your attorney in this. But, first and foremost, I'm your friend. If you don't want to do this…if you won't want to pursue this, then that's fine. It's your decision and I will support whatever decision you make."

Kurt stared down at his hands in Blaine's. "If I don't pursue this, then they get away with it. They get away with almost killing me."

"Yes." Blaine simply stated.

Kurt looked up and met Blaine's eyes. "They could try again."

"Yes." Blaine simply stated again. Blaine didn't know if they would, but they certainly could try again – and the thought terrified him.

Kurt saw fear in Blaine's eyes. He knew that Blaine was afraid that they would try again – and succeed on the second time. "No. No. Let's do this. They are not going to get away with it."

That was all Blaine needed to hear. He needed to take Kurt to his office so he could get a glimpse at the photo on Kayla's desk to ensure that the man in the video is in fact Jace. Public transportation is difficult in New York when you're in a wheelchair. Thankfully, the law firm had a company car that Noah Rhoades was more than generous enough to let Blaine use.

Blaine helped Kurt into the car and folded up his wheelchair and put it in the backseat. It took 25 minutes in New York traffic to reach Kurt's office. Blaine stepped out of the car and while walking around to the other side to assist Kurt, he took a good look at the building. He'd never been there before. It was an impressive building. Kurt saw Blaine's look and smiled to himself. He was pleased that Blaine was impressed with his office building. All these years later and Kurt still wanted Blaine to be proud of him.

Blaine wheeled Kurt into the building as Kurt gave him directions of where to go. Once they'd reached Kurt's floor he was bombarded with well-wishers. Everyone in the office had heard what had happened to him. Blaine was proud. There were so many people that cared about Kurt. While Kurt was thanking everyone, Blaine noticed one woman off in the distance that had remained back. She had a confusing look on her face. Blaine couldn't totally read it but he was sure that she wasn't too happy about Kurt being there. Blaine would bet a year's salary that that was Kayla.

Once Kurt finished his conversations, he directed Blaine towards his cubicle. They were under the guise that they were there to collect some of Kurt's sketching utensils. Kurt really did need them. One in particular offered a special shading effect that Kurt was having trouble trying to replicate with another pencil. Before their arrival Kurt told Blaine where they were so that he could pretend to small talk with Kayla while Blaine retrieved the utensils.

Blaine had been right – the woman in question was Kayla. Kurt politely introduced Blaine and then asked Blaine if he would get his pencils so he could catch up with Kayla. Since Blaine was standing, he was able to get a quick look at the picture on Kayla's desk. He'd watched those videos enough to know for himself that the man in the picture frame was the same man that beat Kurt.

Kurt struck up a quick conversation with Kayla, conveniently wheeling himself closer to her cubicle so he could get a quick look at the picture. One glance was all it took. Kurt was now 100% sure that Kayla's boyfriend had assisted in his attack. It made his stomach turn just talking to Kayla. Judging by Kayla's uncomfortable posture while Kurt was near, he was pretty sure that Kayla had either masterminded the attack or at the very least, she knew about it.

Blaine could see that Kurt was uncomfortable so he quickly gathered Kurt's utensils and after saying as polite a goodbye as possible, they turned to leave. Once they were in the elevator, Kurt told Blaine he wanted to see if Ms. Spencer was in. They took the elevator to the 35th floor and when they stepped out, Blaine audibly gasped.

Kurt looked up at him and smiled. "I know, right? It's pretty spectacular."

"Kurt. This entire building is spectacular but, wow, this office is…I don't know. I don't have the words."

Kurt smiled again. "Just think, this entire floor belongs to Ms. Spencer. Maybe one day I'll have something like this."

Blaine leaned down and whispered in Kurt's ear, "I have no doubt that you will."

Kurt shivered as Blaine whispered in his ear. Blaine wheeled him up to Ms. Spencer's assistant's desk. Kurt saw Ms. Stapleton typing vigorously on her keyboard. He cleared his throat. "Good afternoon, Ms. Stapleton."

She turned and grinned. "Kurt! Oh my God! Let me take a look at you!" She jumped out of her seat and completely circled Kurt before she sat back down. "It's so good to see you! You look fantastic!"

Kurt laughed. "Well I don't know about looking fantastic, but I must admit, it's nice to be seen."

Ms. Stapleton glanced up at Blaine. "And, who is this handsome gentleman?"

"Oh, this is Blaine Anderson." He turned to Blaine. "Blaine, this is Glenda Stapleton. She's Ms. Spencer's personal secretary, assistant, and pretty much everything else."

Glenda shook Blaine's outstretched hand. "Well, Kurt, Mr. Anderson, let me see if Ms. Spencer has a moment to say hello."

When Glenda turned to leave, Blaine leaned down. "Not that I'm surprised, but you are loved around here, Kurt."

Kurt chuckled. "Well, all except for Kayla and her boyfriend. Please tell me you saw the look on her face while I was talking to her." He saw Blaine nod. "Good, because if she didn't mastermind the entire thing then she at least knew about it. I'm certain of that."

Just then, Glenda reappeared and told them that Ms. Spencer would love to see Kurt and she'd be out in just a moment. They chit-chatted for a couple of minutes before Ms. Spencer came out of her office.

"Kurt, darling! It's so good to see you! Paul showed me the flare you added to the jacket he was working on. It's simply divine." She leaned down and gave Kurt a kiss on each cheek.

Kurt grinned from ear to ear. "Thank you. I received Paul's email saying that he liked it too."

Rosaline Spencer smiled. "Yes, he likes your work very much. He sees the same potential that I do. You are going to do great things in this business." She paused for a moment. "Now, on a more serious note, what brings you here? I can see that you're still in your wheelchair and those casts are telling me that you're not ready to come back into the office yet."

"No, not yet. I do have a reason for being here, though." Kurt paused and looked up at Blaine. "Ms. Spencer, this is Mr. Blaine Anderson. He's my attorney. We'd like to have a moment of your time, privately, if you don't mind."

Blaine tensed. He didn't think it was wise to let Ms. Spencer aware of the suspicions they were having. Nothing had been proven yet. He gripped his hands on Kurt's shoulders. "Kurt, she looks very busy. Maybe we should come back another time."

Kurt knew that tone of Blaine's. He was trying to warn Kurt that they should not be discussing this. He looked up at Blaine again. "Trust me."

That was all Kurt needed to say. Blaine trusted Kurt implicitly. He just nodded at Kurt.

Ms. Spencer looked concerned. It was never good when an attorney showed up on her doorstep. Everything with Kurt's injury had occurred so quickly that she hadn't had a chance to get Kurt's new contract spelling out the details of his new promotion ironed out and signed. Kurt had already begun working with Paul. No, they hadn't agreed to terms but she had made sure that Kurt was receiving the proper salary that accompanied the promotion. She had full intentions of working everything out upon Kurt's return.

Regardless, she smiled her award winning smile. "Of course. Please follow me." She ushered Kurt and Blaine into her office. Once she closed the door behind her she began again. "Kurt, if this has anything to do with your contract, please know that it hasn't been an oversight. Your injury just happened so quickly that we weren't able to get everything ironed out. I did ensure that you were receiving your proper salary. I just didn't want to burden you with contract negotiations while you were recovering."

Well, this surprised Kurt. Honestly he hadn't given any thought to a contract and he'd been so distracted by his recovery that he hadn't really even checked his pay checks. "Oh. No, I didn't…that's not…" Kurt was stuttering. He cleared his throat and took a breath. "That's not actually why I wanted to talk to you."

She cleared her throat. "It's not?"

"No." He stopped and looked over at Blaine who had taken a seat next to him. He looked back at Ms. Spencer. "You have been so wonderful by allowing me to work from home. I am so appreciative of that. I was worried when I woke up in the hospital that on top of everything else that I'd lost my job. You have to know how grateful I am."

She smiled back at Kurt. "Well, I see how talented you are. You've got raw talent, Kurt. I know under the mentorship of Paul, you will rise to great things. It won't be too long before celebrities are clamoring to wear your designs."

"Thank you." He paused for a moment. "Ms. Spencer, I realize that you have already allowed me many liberties and I may not be in the position to ask – and feel free to tell me no – but, we have reason to believe that we know the identity of my attackers." Kurt saw her eyebrows rise. "Having said that, we haven't even begun the process of reporting it to the police, let alone letting the courts do whatever they need to do. I hate to ask, but would it be possible to have some time off? I know you've been so gracious to allow me to work from home but I'm just afraid that once things heat up, I won't have much time keep up with emails, phone calls or video calls."

Rosaline Spencer took a deep breath. "Wow, that's…well, now I'm speechless."

Kurt spoke up. "Please feel free to say no. I understand that it's an important time in the creative process right now. If you need me to, I will make sure I have time for everything you need. I will make it a priority. My job, no, my career, is very important to me."

Ms. Spencer chuckled. "No, Kurt. That's not why I was speechless. Of course you can take whatever time you need. Paul and I were speaking the other day about what a shame it was that the likelihood of you finding out who did this to you was slim to none. I am so happy that you are going to get justice for what happened." She stood up and walked to the front of her desk. She leaned on her desk, right in front of Kurt – just like she had the day she gushed over his portfolio. "Your job will be here. I am not losing out on talent like yours. If I'm not careful, I'll be competing against you in this industry. And, I'm afraid I'd lose." She smiled at Kurt.

Kurt smiled so big his cheeks hurt. "Thank you so much, Ms. Spencer. I promise I will be back as soon as humanly possible." Rosaline Spencer bent and gave Kurt a kiss on each cheek and again told Kurt to take as much time as he needed and to let him know if she could help in any way.

After saying goodbye to Ms. Stapleton, Kurt and Blaine once again found themselves in the elevator. Blaine looked down at Kurt. "Shit, you scared me in there. I thought you were going to tell her about our suspicions – which you know would not have been smart."

Kurt grinned up at Blaine. "You don't really think I'm that stupid, do you?"

Blaine laughed. "Well…"

"Hey!" Kurt reached up and playfully slapped Blaine on the arm. "I told you to trust me."

Blaine's face turned serious. He knelt down and leveled his face with Kurt's. "I know you're not stupid, Kurt. And, I do trust you. I trust you with my life." _And my heart,_ Blaine thought.

Kurt just stared at him. Unable to say anything. He was just breathing in Blaine's presence. He wanted so badly to close the small distance between them and place his lips against his. He wanted so desperately to tell Blaine that he'd broken up with Kevin; that he wanted nothing more in this world than to be with him. Forever. But he couldn't. Not yet. He needed to get the assault behind him. He needed to get to a place where he was totally free from his past baggage. Once Jace and his friend were behind bars for attacking him, then he'd ask Blaine to take him back.

Blaine stared at Kurt staring at him. The tension was so thick. He saw Kurt briefly glance at his lips. Did Kurt want to kiss him? No, that couldn't be right. He was dating Kevin. Blaine figured that he was making this up in his head. He cleared his throat. "So, what do you say we head to the police station?"

* * *

Kurt and Blaine made their way to the NYPD and asked to speak with Detective Walton. He had been the one that had initially taken Kurt's statement after the attack and he had also taken Liam Newman's statement. The problem was that after the statements had been taken, no follow up had been done. Kurt was disgusted by that. It was assumed that he was the victim of a random hate crime – attacked because he was gay. The fact that the NYPD didn't follow up after taking initial statements was revolting. Kurt was so thankful that Blaine was back in his life. Because of him, not only did they discover who had assaulted Kurt, but they'd also discovered it was not a hate crime after all. He was the victim of a jealous co-worker.

Det. Walton appeared and escorted them into an interrogation room so they could have some privacy. "Mr. Hummel, it's nice to see you out and about. Unfortunately, we still don't have any leads in your case."

Blaine's stomach turned. He could smell the homophobia on this guy. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Blaine Anderson. I'm Mr. Hummel's attorney. Luckily for him…" Blaine glanced over at Kurt. "…not only did we find a lead, but we found the assailant."

Det. Walton's eyes widened. "Really?" He took a good look at Blaine. "Who are you again?"

Blaine rolled his eyes. "Blaine Anderson. Kurt Hummel's attorney. I work for Rhoades, Michaelson & Boothe. We're a prosecuting law firm. We take on cases, similar to Mr. Hummel's and gather the evidence. Then we present it to one of New York's District Attorneys and they decide if it's strong enough to bring to court. If it is, the DA will sign off on it and we'll go to court. The reason we're here is because we need you to make an arrest…or at the very least, haul him in on suspicion."

Det. Walton's curiosity was peaked. "Ok. I'm listening. Who do you think I should haul in?"

Blaine told Det. Walton about his discussion with Liam Newman and then his follow up with the bank and the jewelry store. He told about how the cameras had turned out to be very beneficial. He then told about how Kurt had come in and looked at the video and identified one of the men as the boyfriend of one of his co-workers.

Det. Walton had sat and listened to Blaine's entire story. "Well, that's pretty impressive Mr. Anderson. What you're telling me is that this was not a random attack as we assumed? That Mr. Hummel was, in fact, targeted?"

Blaine nodded. "It appears that way, yes. Kayla Jones was passed up for a promotion in favor of Mr. Hummel. We have every reason to believe that her boyfriend, Jace Lavine, retaliated."

Det. Walton rubbed his chin. "You believe that Mr. Hummel was beat near to death over a promotion?" It sounded a little incredible to him.

Kurt spoke up for the first time since they'd entered the police station. "Det. Walton, have you ever heard of The House of Rosaline Spencer?"

Det. Walton looked at him. "No."

"Well, let me tell you then." Kurt cleared his throat. "The House of Rosaline Spencer is one of the top fashion houses in the world. Not just New York – but the world. Kayla Jones and myself, along with several other junior staffers, had been given the opportunity to put together a portfolio to present to Ms. Spencer herself. Whoever she chose would get the promotion of a lifetime. They would be given the chance to design alongside one of the world's top designers. They would be groomed and mentored before eventually getting their own line – their own collection."

Det. Walton responded. "And this is that cut throat?"

Kurt laughed. "You have no idea. This is New York. This is one of the top fashion meccas in the world…right up there next to Milan and Paris. This isn't like designing for The Gap or Old Navy." Kurt paused and took a good look at Det. Walton. He noticed something and smiled. "Det. Walton, are you married?"

"Yes, I am."

"I thought you might be. Your tie? Where did you get it?"

Det. Walton glanced down at the tie he was wearing. "Um, not sure. My wife gave it to me for Christmas last year. Why?"

Kurt smiled. "Because that tie is exclusively from the Paul Brewer's Menware's Collection – a collection from The House of Rosaline Spencer. You see, I was paired with Paul Brewer when Ms. Spencer selected me for the promotion. I would recognize his work anywhere."

Blaine smiled at Kurt. He was so proud of Kurt. He felt like he could burst with love for this man. Blaine told himself that he wasn't a boyfriend stealer but the thought of not spending forever with this man was enough to cause him to reevaluate his moral code. He didn't care what it took, he was going to get Kurt back. No matter what.

Det. Walton looked over at Blaine. "So Mr. Anderson, you have this gentleman on video?"

Blaine looked back at Det. Walton. "Yes. The security camera aimed at the bank's ATM provides a clear view of the two men. One was carrying a baseball bat and the other is Jace Lavine."

"Does this video show any of the attack? Anything that we can arrest him on? Anything? Like them grabbing Mr. Hummel?"

Blaine lightly shook his head. "No. But I know you can bring him in on suspicion. Interrogate him…lean on him…get him to confess. I guarantee he'll turn on his friend. You'll get his identity."

Det. Walton thought for a moment. "Ok, look. I'll bring him in. I'll talk to him. But, Mr. Anderson you know that simply having him on video following Mr. Hummel isn't anything to really go on. It's circumstantial at best. There is a strong possibility that he won't confess and if that happens then I'll have no reason to hold him."

"We are aware of that Det. Walton." Blaine answered. "But this is the best opportunity that Mr. Hummel has to get justice. I appreciate your assistance in this."

At that, Det. Walton told them he'd keep them informed. He also agreed to speak with Kurt's doctors. He asked Blaine to email the video to him and then once he received it he was going to try to pick up Jace Lavine today so they should be expecting a call later this afternoon. Det. Walton told them both that depending on what Jace might confess to, Blaine was correct in his assessment of charges…either Assault with a Deadly Weapon or Attempted Murder if the information from Kurt's doctors warranted such a charge.

Once they were in the car again, Kurt turned and looked at Blaine. "You know, you shouldn't have thanked him for his assistance. You did all of the work that he should have done. I mean, I'm not the only one that could tell he's a homophobe right?"

Blaine laughed. "No, Kurt. I could tell he was a homophobe too, and we could have gone to another detective but I was extending professional courtesy. He was the initial detective assigned to the case and he knows now that it wasn't a hate crime." He saw the look that Kurt was giving him out of the corner of his eye. "No, that doesn't make his homophobia any less disgusting but in my line of work it's important to have detectives on your side. If we went behind his back and he found out – which he would have – then I would already have one detective in the NYPD that didn't like me. I've just started working here. I don't want to make enemies so soon."

Kurt sighed. "You're right. I get it. And, I guess he seemed more willing to help once he knew the details. It just seemed that he was so willing to help because it was attached to Spencer's and not just some gay guy getting attacked because of who he was." Kurt paused. "It's just a little frustrating, I guess."

"I know. But, this might be the only shot we have at getting those bastards behind bars."

Kurt smiled. "You keep saying 'we'."

Blaine smiled back. "That's because we're in this together, Kurt. You know how I feel about you. It makes me sick to think that there are guys out there that would do something like that just because their girlfriend didn't get a promotion. I told you I'd fight for you. This isn't just your battle, Kurt. It's ours."

"Thank you, Blaine. Really, I mean it." Kurt wanted so badly to tell him all the things he had been holding back.

"Kurt, you never have to thank me." There it was again – the tension between them. It was the good kind of tension though. He felt like there was something Kurt was holding back. Blaine's gut was telling him to amp up his fight for Kurt's love. Maybe now was the time. The only thing holding him back was Kevin. But Blaine couldn't understand where Kevin had been today. Why wasn't he by Kurt's side? No. Blaine was going to push Kevin out of his mind. "So…where to? Do you want me to take you home? I know it's been a long day so far."

"Yes. Home is exactly where I want to go." Kurt turned and looked at Blaine. "Actually, what's your schedule like for the rest of the day?" Kurt couldn't hold back anymore. He wanted to be with Blaine. He felt so good about today's progression. Waking up in a cabin with Kevin just this morning seemed like a lifetime ago. Seeing his assailants on video and reliving his attack with the police all over again reminded him how short life can be. Why was he waiting? He wanted Blaine and he knew that Blaine wanted him. Waiting was over. He wanted his life to begin. His life with Blaine.

Blaine's heart began to pound. He couldn't exactly explain what he was feeling. This felt good. There was something different about Kurt. Blaine couldn't put a finger on what it was, but it felt good. "Um, well Mr. Rhoades has been extremely gracious in allowing me to pursue your case so I don't have anything else on my plate. Why do you ask?" Blaine desperately hoped that Kurt was asking what he thought he was asking.

"Well…" there was a nervous tremble in Kurt's voice. "…I was wondering if you'd like to come up…" Kurt was nervous. "Uh, my ribs are sore and do you think…well…do you think you might be able to help me rewrap them?" While that was true, that wasn't the real reason he wanted Blaine to come up.

Blaine knew Kurt's nervous voice. It only served to make Blaine nervous. There were so many unspoken words that were flowing between them at the moment. "Sure. I think I can handle that. You'll have to show me how though." Blaine smiled. He didn't want to get his hopes up but it was hard not to right now. "Uh, I have to return the company car first, though. How about we go to your place, that way I can help you upstairs and then I can go return the car, close up my office and I'll bring a cab back." Blaine thought for a moment. "Unless you are in a lot pain. Then I can come up right away and help you."

Kurt thought about it. No, he wanted Blaine to go back and return the car first. That way he can tidy up his apartment – put his luggage away, a sure fire sign that he'd been out of town – and when Blaine finally came back, there wouldn't be an excuse for him to leave. If Kurt had his way, their nights apart would be few and far between from now on. "No, I'm ok. I think I can wait until you come back."

They had just pulled up to Kurt's apartment building. Blaine helped Kurt out and allowed Kurt to half lean, half hop up to the third floor. When they got to Kurt's door he told Blaine to go back downstairs and get his wheelchair. He didn't want to open his door because he wasn't sure where Kevin had put his luggage. He did not want Blaine to see the luggage. He was going to tell Blaine about the cabin but he wanted Blaine to know exactly how he was feeling about him before he did. As soon as Blaine disappeared down the staircase Kurt opened the door to his apartment. He was glad he'd sent Blaine downstairs. Kurt's luggage was sitting just inside the door. _Figures,_ Kurt thought. _You couldn't have at least put my suitcase in my bedroom? Thanks a lot, Kevin._

Thankfully both suitcases were on wheels so Kurt was able to hide them in his bedroom closet before Blaine returned with his wheelchair. Kurt was just coming out of his room when Blaine reentered the apartment. Without even being asked, he rushed over to Kurt's side and threw his arm around Kurt's waist and helped him to the sofa. The moment their skin made contact, sparks flew. Blaine was sure he wasn't the only one that felt it.

"Thank you." Kurt said as Blaine was helping him to the sofa. "You're still able to read my mind and know exactly what I need before I'm really aware of it myself."

Blaine sat down next to him. "Well, I don't know about that, but I know that the last time you fell it was because you were hopping around this place. I don't want to take you to the hospital again." Blaine smiled at Kurt.

Kurt smiled back at Blaine. They just stared at each other for a minute or two. The air was so thick it was getting impossible to breath. Both men felt it. Both men so desperately wanted to close the small gap between them and allow their lips to meet. Both men wanted to stay right there and never leave. Both men were feeling the exact same thing.

Blaine blinked first and cleared his throat. "Uh, well if you think you'll be ok for a little while I'll go ahead and get back and close up my office and return the car. I'll try to hurry back."

"I'll be fine. You won't be gone long will you?" Now that Kurt was ready to confess his feelings, he didn't want to wait any longer than he had to.

"No. I promise. Just…just don't move any more than you have to. Remember, I don't want to have to take you to the hospital again." Blaine got up and walked to Kurt's front door. Then he turned back around and looked at Kurt. God, he was beautiful…the most beautiful man he'd ever seen. "God, Kurt. We've been so busy today we haven't stopped to eat! How about I get us something on my way back?" Blaine saw the look on Kurt's face. "Oh, unless I'm overstepping. I mean, uh, maybe you have plans with Kevin tonight…I don't know…I mean, I'm assuming he was working today and that's why he wasn't with us and maybe you two have some sort of plans and I'm just overstepping and…" Blaine was rambling. He was having trouble stopping himself.

Thankfully, Kurt broke in and interrupted him. "Blaine…stop rambling! No, Kevin isn't coming over tonight so you are not overstepping. Dinner would be nice." Kurt didn't want to tell Blaine that he and Kevin had broken up yet. Kurt knew once he started revealing his feelings he would have a hard time stopping. "And, I promise not to move any more than I have to. Oh, and don't lock the door behind you – that way you can just let yourself back in when you get back." Kurt liked the thought of Blaine walking in without knocking.

Blaine liked the thought of entering Kurt's apartment without knocking. It would feel like coming home. He smiled back at Kurt. "Ok, I'll be back soon." With that, Blaine turned and left.

Kurt hopped back into his bedroom and began unpacking. As soon as he'd finished unpacking he hopped back into the living room and began to tidy up. Kurt wasn't a messy person but he wanted everything to be perfect. He wanted the beginning of his life with Blaine to be as far from messy as possible. They'd already had so much thrown at them. No more. Tonight was the first night of the rest of their lives.

* * *

Blaine was full of anxious energy. What was happening between Kurt and him? There was all this tension between them. If Blaine hadn't known any better, he would have sworn that Kurt was feeling the same thing he was. But what about Kevin? Blaine had mentioned him and all Kurt had said was that they didn't have plans for tonight. He would have said if they'd broken up, right? No, it didn't matter. Blaine was tired of playing this game. He was sure that he wasn't imagining this. There was no better time than tonight. Something was happening between him and Kurt. He was going to fight for his love again. He knew it wouldn't be easy but that was not going to intimidate him. He was fighting.

Blaine had just finished rehearsing the speech he was going to give Kurt when he pulled up into the law firm's parking lot. He took the elevator up to the 5th floor and smiled at Emily as soon as they locked eyes. "Hey Emily. I didn't miss much today, did I?"

"Well hey there, Blaine. You sure look happy. Did you and Mr. Hummel have a successful day?"

Wow, Emily didn't even know the double meaning of her question. He smiled bigger. "We sure did. It was a great day. We found them. The assailants. Now it's in the police's hands. Speaking of which, do I have any messages?" Blaine knew it hadn't been long since they'd left Det. Walton but he wanted so badly for this nightmare to be over for Kurt.

Emily checked her notes. "No, I don't have anything. Oh! Mr. Rhoades was looking for you a few minutes ago. I think he was looking for the car. Landry has the other one and well, you know how he can be when he's driving the company car."

Blaine laughed. "Yeah, I know. I've got the keys. I'll pop in his office and return them. I want to give him a quick update anyway."

Blaine walked down the hall and knocked on Noah Rhoades' door. When he heard permission to enter, he stuck his head in and smiled.

Noah Rhoades looked up from his computer. He took one look at Blaine and smiled. "Blaine! If it isn't our little wonder boy! I heard some rumblings around the office that you were having a good day. Wanna tell me about it?"

"Absolutely!" Blaine sat down and told Noah Rhoades all about acquiring the videos from the bank and jewelry store, getting Kurt to identify one of the attackers and their recent visit to the NPYD.

"Shit, Blaine! I had a feeling about you when I hired you. My gut was just telling me to hire you despite never prosecuting anyone. But having said that, you haven't prepared a package for the DA. Even if all of the evidence is there, if the package isn't strong, the DA might not agree to move forward. I told you when I allowed you to follow this case that I'd help you in whatever way I could. Once you hear back from the detective, get on my calendar. I will sit with you and we'll prepare the package together."

Blaine was beside himself. "Oh, wow. Thank you so much! You have no idea how much that means to me."

Noah Rhoades smiled back at him. "You are welcome. I am proud of you, Blaine. You will have a great future with this firm."

Blaine thanked him again before heading into his office to shut down for the day. He was having such a good day. He couldn't wait to get back to Kurt. This was his day. He could feel it. He was going to pick up something for him and Kurt to eat for dinner and then he was going to give Kurt his big speech. He had prepared something to say to hopefully convey to Kurt how he felt and that he really wanted to share forever with him.

* * *

Kurt felt like he'd been waiting forever for Blaine to return. He'd cleaned up his apartment and he'd returned to his seat on the couch. He had so much pent up energy that it was almost killing him that he couldn't at least pace around his apartment like he desperately wanted to. About an hour after Blaine had left, Kurt heard Blaine turning the handle on the doorknob. It made Kurt's heart flutter that Blaine was letting himself in rather than knock.

Blaine was just outside Kurt's apartment, balancing Chinese food in one hand while trying to free the other. It would have been so much easier to knock – or rather knock on the door with his foot. But, Kurt had told him not to lock his door when he left so he could just let himself in. That was exactly what he was going to do. He felt like he was coming home. He finally got one hand free and turned the doorknob. When he pushed the door open, he saw Kurt, still sitting on the couch, smiling at him. "Hey there. I'm so sorry it took me so long. My boss stopped me."

Kurt sat up a little straighter. "Oh, it's ok." Kurt could see that Blaine was struggling with balancing all of the food. He went to stand up. "Here, let me help you."

"No, you stay seated. I've got this." Blaine walked over to the kitchen and sat the food down. "I got Chinese…as you could probably tell." Blaine let out a nervous chuckle. "Just tell me where I can find the plates and what you'd like to drink. I'll bring it to you. And yes, we're using plates because I'm pretty sure I remember what Chinese food you like and I got that, but I also remembered how you always liked to eat some of my food. If I put it on a plate, we can share."

Kurt thought his heart was going to pound out of his chest. This was becoming quite the romantic setting. "Uh, the plates are in the top cabinet to the left of the stove." Kurt paused for a moment. There was a fantastic bottle of white wine he had chilled. Would it be too much to suggest that? Oh, the hell with it. "There's a bottle of white wine in the fridge. Are you up for a glass of wine?"

Wine? What was Kurt doing to him? This made him more confident than ever that he was making the right decision with regards to lay it all out on the table tonight. "Sure, white wine sounds great. Although now you're going to have to tell me where you keep your wine glasses and bottle opener." Blaine grabbed the wine out of the fridge and began dishing out the food onto the plates.

"Oh, the bottle opener is in the drawer directly across from the fridge and the wine glasses are in the top cabinet to the right of the stove. It's a small kitchen as you can tell. It won't take you long to figure it out." Oh shit. What had he just said? He'd just implied that it wouldn't take Blaine long to learn his way around his kitchen. That implied that he felt like Blaine would be spending time in his kitchen, which would mean that he would be spending more time in his apartment. Who was he kidding? Of course he hoped that would happen.

Blaine turned and looked at Kurt. He had an embarrassed look on his face. It seemed to Blaine that Kurt had just implied that Blaine would be spending enough time here to eventually get to know his way around the kitchen. Blaine just smiled back at him and continued to get their dinner ready. This felt nice. Very domestic. Blaine wasn't totally sure what was going on here, but he wasn't going to leave until he had laid all of his cards on the table.

He brought the food and wine to the coffee table and sat down next to Kurt. Kurt smiled at Blaine. "Yep, you brought everything that I love with you. And, you were right about the plates because I SO plan on eating some of your food." He picked up his chop sticks and took a bite. "Oooh God, this is so good, Blaine!

Blaine nearly choked on the noises Kurt was making while eating. It brought back memories from a few of the moments they shared recently in Ohio. He coughed a bit. "Well, I haven't forgotten what you love, Kurt."

There it was again. The tension – the good tension. They stared at each other for another moment. It was like they were in a trance. Kurt was the one that broke the eye contact this time. "Uh, so you mentioned when you came ho…uh…when you got here that your boss had stopped you when you were in the office earlier. Anything interesting?" Holy shit – Kurt was two letters away from referring to Blaine coming home.

Blaine hadn't missed Kurt's near slip-up. He smiled. "Well, he'd heard rumors about what I'd been working on and he wanted a progress report. So, I told him everything that had happened today. Then he told me the best news ever. Kurt, I don't know if I've ever mentioned it to you before but after I collect all of the evidence in support of your case, I have to put together a package and present it to the DA. That is how they decide whether or not to move forward on prosecuting. Well, obviously, I've never done that before. Mr. Rhoades told me that he'd personally sit down with me to put the package together. Noah Rhoades is the fucking head of the firm! He started the firm and he's going to personally help me. Do you have any idea what a big deal that is?" He looked at Kurt and saw that he was hanging on every word Blaine was saying. "What am I saying? Of course you know what that's like. You recently went through the same thing."

Kurt was looking lovingly at Blaine. He was mesmerized by Blaine's excitement. "Wow, Blaine. That is so amazing. I'm so proud of you, really. Not just for helping me but for finally breaking free from your father and for all of the other people in New York that you are going to help. In case I didn't say it before…I'm really glad you're here."

By now they had finished eating and Blaine was taking the plates into the kitchen. He returned and sat next to Kurt on the couch again. He picked up the bottle of wine. "Would you like another glass?" Kurt nodded and Blaine refilled their glasses. After they each took a sip, Blaine set his glass down on the table and shifted so he was facing Kurt completely.

He took a deep breath. "Kurt, I'm glad you're glad I'm here. This has been a really, really great day. And I don't want to ruin it, but there is something that I need to talk to you about…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Allow me to remind you that I don't have any expertise in the legal world. I do know that the way it's presented in my fic isn't exactly how it happens in the real world. So I'm asking you to bare with me and just go with it. Since this is fiction, I can make the legal world work however I want it to! :)
> 
> We've got some Klaine coming up next. Like, KLAINE! 
> 
> All I can promise you is that my next update will be next weekend. I'm not sure if it'll be Saturday or Sunday though. In the meantime just enjoy the happiness that in canon Klaine are husbands! :)


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all will like this chapter! ;)
> 
> Mistakes are all mine.
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Kurt's face fell. What could Blaine possibly want to tell him? And, why would it ruin the evening? Kurt had planned on telling Blaine about breaking up with Kevin and realizing he wanted to be with Blaine. He wanted one more glass of wine for some courage and then he was going to tell him. And now Blaine wanted to talk about something with him and it could ruin their great day? Then it hit him. Blaine still thought Kurt was dating Kevin. Blaine was going to tell Kurt that he was glad they were making progress in finding Kurt's attackers but that spending all of this time together was too hard for him. Blaine was going to tell Kurt that they needed to spend more time apart. That had to be it, right?

"Blaine, wait. Before you say anything, I'd like to say something first." Kurt had to get his feelings out first.

Blaine hesitated. What did Kurt want to say? Blaine knew. He was going to tell him that Kevin was still very much a part of the picture and that while they'd had a great day, he still had a boyfriend and that Blaine shouldn't make things up in his head that weren't there. No. Blaine couldn't let Kurt say that – not first anyway. Blaine was going to lay it all out there. If Kurt rejected him after, then that was a risk he had to take.

"No, Kurt. Really. It's very important that I say what I need to say first. Please?"

Kurt couldn't look at that sad look on Blaine's face and deny him. If Blaine told him that they needed distance because remaining just friends was too hard for him, then Kurt would change his mind after. Blaine was not leaving this apartment without knowing the truth.

"Ok, Blaine. You can go first."

Blaine took Kurt's hand in his. "This really has been a beautiful day. I'm so glad that I've been able to play a part in your recovery – both physically and emotionally. But, I have to say that this has been pretty hard for me. I know everything has always seemed so hard for both of us. We kept looking for the easy road and honestly, Kurt? I don't think an easy road exists. But I love you. You know that. I've told you that I love you over and over. And I'll forever be sorry for what I did to you." He saw Kurt start to protest but he held up one hand. "Trust me, whether you say it or not, I know you've forgiven me. I just really need to finish getting all of this out first, ok?"

Kurt said nothing, just nodded.

Blaine continued. "Maybe I'm wrong but I've been feeling all day like you've been conflicted about your feelings for me – your feelings for Kevin. Maybe I'm crazy for telling you this but, to hell with it, because I need to lay all of my cards on the table. You need to know that I want to be with you…that will never change. And I want you to be with me. And if you do decide you want to be with me you have to know that it's not gonna be easy, it's gonna be really hard. And we're gonna have to work at it every day but I'm willing to do that because I want you. I want all of you, forever, you and me, every day."

Blaine paused and took a deep breath. "Will you do something for me? Please, just picture your life for me? 30 years from now, 40 years from now. What's it look like? If it's with Kevin then, go be with him. Go. I lost you once and it was hard as hell but I think I could do it again if I thought it was what you really wanted. Your happiness is more important than mine."

Blaine finally stopped talking and took a really good look at Kurt. His face was unreadable. Kurt opened his mouth to speak. "Blaine…"

"No! Wait…I have one more thing to say first." Blaine, with a nervous chuckle, interrupted Kurt before he could start. "Don't think about what everyone else wants…stop thinking about what I want, what Kevin wants…what your dad wants…what do you want? What do you want?"

This time when Blaine looked at Kurt, he was chuckling. Blaine was confused. "Kurt, why are you laughing?"

Kurt smiled. "Blaine, did you really just quote _The Notebook_?"

Blaine looked down, embarrassed. Then he looked back up, determined. "Yes, ok? I did just quote The Notebook. You know how much I love that movie and I know how much our relationship parallels it. We are Noah and Allie. You and I. Kevin – he's Lon. That's how I see us, Kurt."

Kurt smiled. "Are you finished?" Blaine's speech made Kurt incredibly happy. Here he thought Blaine was going to say he needed space. No, Blaine had continued to fight for him, just like he said he would. Kurt was glad he let Blaine speak first. Now he would know forever that Blaine had never given up the fight for Kurt's love.

Blaine let out a shaky breath. "Yes." Now he had to wait for the fall out.

At some point during their conversation they had managed to let go of one another's hands. Kurt grabbed Blaine's hands in his once again. "Blaine, I really appreciate what you just said. Really, I do. But I have some things to say as well."

Blaine's face fell. Here it comes, Kurt's rejection. "Ok. I promise I won't say anything until you finish."

"Thank you." Kurt scooted just a tad bit closer. "I want to be 100% honest with you right now. You know that Kevin is not your number one fan. After the night at Bleakers, followed by you being the one to take me to the hospital after I fell, Kevin felt like we didn't stand a chance as long as you were such a strong presence in my life. He asked me to spend some uninterrupted time with him so we could grow closer. And what you said earlier is true – I was looking for the easy road. To me it seemed like that was the easy road, so I agreed. Last night – God that feels like a lifetime ago – we went out to a cabin that his parents own about an hour away. It was nice. We were able to talk and we learned a lot about each other."

Blaine felt like his heart was about to explode into a million pieces. It was hard enough hearing Kurt tell him that he was still involved with Kevin, but to hear details about them going away together? That was too much.

Kurt could tell Blaine was having hard time hearing this. Kurt could have skipped over these details but he felt it was important to get everything out in the open. He squeezed Blaine's hands, trying to reassure him through unspoken words.

Kurt cleared his throat. "This morning when I woke up, Kevin was already up preparing breakfast. I got my laptop and decided to check in with the office. Kevin wasn't happy when he came back in the room and found me working…seems like he took the term uninterrupted time very seriously. Anyway, we argued and things got a little nasty…"

Blaine broke in. "What? Nasty? Kurt, if he hurt you…"

"Blaine, no. Kevin would never lay a hand on me. I mean, he said a few things that hurt my feelings, but then again, I probably said a few things that I shouldn't have too. Actually, I threw the breakfast he made across the room." Kurt laughed at the memory. "That kind of pissed him off. But anyway, I'm glad we argued. Kevin wanted the time away so we could get to know each other and some true feelings really came out."

Kurt thought for a moment, remembering something else. "Another thing? When you called this morning, Kevin was the one that sent your call to voicemail and then turned my phone off so I wouldn't know. I found out later when he left to get us something to eat after I'd ruined our breakfast. As you can imagine, I was not pleased. That resulted in another argument when he got back to the cabin."

Blaine had such a sad, small look on his face. "I'm sorry I caused you two to argue." He had such a small voice.

Kurt squeezed Blaine's hands even harder. "No, don't apologize. None of this is your fault. In fact, you liberated me. When I heard your voice on my voicemail, telling me that your lead had panned out and you needed me to come into the office as soon as possible all I could think of was getting back to you. Nothing else mattered. I didn't know what that meant though. Kevin kept telling me I wanted to rush back because it was you, whereas I kept telling him it was all about my attack and knowing who did this to me. In fact, he challenged me by asking me to have you email the videos to me as a way to prove that I was not rushing back to you. Yet another thing we argued about as we drove back to the city this morning. And then it hit me, Blaine. It was like a light bulb going off. I **was** rushing back to you. I just wanted to be in your presence. I just wanted to be with you."

Blaine's eyes lit up for the first time since Kurt had begun talking. "Kurt, what are you saying exactly?" Blaine didn't want to leave any room for misunderstanding.

Kurt leaned in close to Blaine's face. "What I'm saying is that you are right. We are Noah and Allie. And Lon is no longer in the picture."

Blaine was still a little confused – happy – but confused. "But what about when you two showed up at my office this morning? He said he was going to take care of things and then he kissed you."

"The things he was taking care of? Bringing my luggage back here for me. The kiss? On the cheek." Kurt took a small breath. "It was nothing like this…" Kurt closed the teeny tiny gap between their mouths and delicately placed his lips on Blaine's.

Blaine responded immediately, gently wrapping his arms around Kurt's body and pulling him closer. Kurt's tongue asked for permission to enter Blaine's mouth and Blaine allowed access, reveling in the taste of Kurt's tongue. This was heaven. This was perfection. If Blaine hadn't known any better he would have sworn he was dreaming. Kurt moaned into the kiss and Blaine's cock immediately responded.

Kurt pulled back – much to the displeasure of both of them. "Blaine, we have to stop. Certain parts of my body so desperately want to respond and continue but, I'm just not physically able to do all of the things I want to."

Blaine shook his head. "No, no. You're right. And I don't want to hurt you." A thought occurred to him. "I guess that means you and Kevin didn't…" Blaine saw the look on Kurt's face. "Oh God! Forget I asked! That was terribly rude and none of my business. I'm sorry."

Kurt laughed. "It's ok, Blaine. You're allowed to ask me anything. Anything. And to answer your question, no, Kevin and I did not sleep together. You are the last person I was with and the only person I ever want to be with." Kurt leaned in and kissed him again.

Blaine pulled back this time. "Kurt, if we don't stop, we're going to get ourselves in trouble." They sat staring at each other for a few minutes when Blaine broke the silence. "I feel like I'm dreaming. I mean, I thought you and Kevin were still together but I'd been getting these signals from you all day and my gut was just telling me to go for it…really put my feelings on the line. I just can't believe this. You're here and you're with me and you want to be with me. What did I do to deserve this?"

Kurt put one of his hands on Blaine's cheek. "You love me. You never gave up on me – on us. Thank you for that because I was pretty mean to you. The things I said and did while I was back in Lima? That horrible note I left? You didn't deserve that."

"Yes I did, Kurt. I lied to you. I told the worst lie of my life and you have every right not to forgive me for that."

Kurt took in Blaine's appearance. "You did lie to me. But I forgive you. I do. I think I forgave you the moment I first heard your voice on the phone that night you called my Dad." Kurt locked eyes with Blaine. "Do you love me? Really love me? I mean, want to grow old and spend forever with me love me?"

"Of course I do, Kurt."

Kurt smiled. "Good, because I love you too." Kurt laughed at the beaming smile on Blaine's face. "I know it's been over seven years since you last heard me say those words to you but I do, Blaine. I love you. I think I know the exact moment I fell in love with you. It was in high school, my junior prom. I'd just been crowned prom queen and David had just left me alone on the dance floor. Then I heard this beautiful voice behind me, asking me to dance with him. I fell hard."

Blaine smiled. "I fell hard, too."

"But it's more than that, Blaine. If asked what it is I love about you, there are so many reasons. All of the standard ones are there, you are incredibly sexy and good looking and you're great in bed…" Kurt winked at Blaine, whose face might have just gotten a bit redder. "You have high hopes and dreams for yourself; you were brought up well – despite your father. You want to find love and have a family, you're respectful and honest and it pains you when someone else is hurting. You're reliable and dependable and responsible and extremely intelligent."

Kurt took another deep breath. "But it's so much more than that, Blaine. It's the way you look at me; the way you used to reach your hand out behind you for me to grab when I was trailing behind a bit; the small creases you get around your eyes when you smile or laugh; the way you touch me and kiss me and hug me; the way my heart beats faster anytime you're around; the twinge in my stomach with every thought of you; the enormous amount of memories we have and how almost every song I hear has the ability to remind me of one; your love of music; your indulgence in my need to have everything clean; the ties you still have to your family, yet your independence from them; the way you know when something is bothering me and the way you seem to know just what I need to hear to cheer me up; the sound of your voice and how it sounds when you say my name or that you love me; your love for the simple things in life; your appreciation for hard work; and even though you are going to be so very successful one day, you will never forget your background, where you came from and what it took to get you there. I love your humbleness, Blaine. I could go on and on – I love you…all of you – not just your strengths and potential for greatness, but also your weaknesses and humble beginnings. I love you."

Blaine was crying. Listening to Kurt go on and on about all of the reasons he loved him was something that words could not describe. He didn't know what to say. Even if he did, he wasn't sure he would be able to get any words out. Kurt leaned forward and wiped Blaine's tears away with the pad of his thumb. "You don't have to say anything, Blaine. I know. I know."

They had been sitting on the couch, facing each other for what seemed like hours. No words were necessary when Blaine leaned back and opened his arms. Kurt carefully snuggled in close to Blaine – his head on Blaine's chest, listening to his heart rapidly beating. They laid like that for God only knows how long when Kurt turned so that he was facing Blaine. "You know that excuse I used to get you up here?"

Blaine looked confused for a moment. He rewound time in his brain. "You mean asking me to rewrap your ribs?"

Kurt sat up fully. "Yeah, that one. Well, that wasn't just an excuse. I really would like for you to do that, if you don't mind."

Blaine jumped up. "Oh! Of course…whatever you need. Just tell me what to do."

Kurt walked Blaine through the process of taking the wrapping off of Kurt's torso. Blaine was surprised that after all of this time, Kurt's beautiful porcelain skin was still bruised. He slowly placed new wrapping around his torso, taking extra care even though Kurt said it had to be tight. Blaine's fingers and hands on Kurt's skin again was heaven. Blaine was gentler than Kevin had ever been – and Kevin was a nurse. Blaine kept asking if he was doing it right and Kurt gave him words of encouragement, knowing that Blaine was terrified that he would hurt him.

After Blaine had finished, he looked at his watch and was surprised at how late it was. This day seemed to have been the longest and fastest day of his life. The videos, the trip to Kurt's office, the discussion at the police station, the talk with his boss, and then the glorious evening he'd spent with Kurt. He looked over at Kurt, who was pouring both of them another glass of wine. Blaine smiled. "Kurt, I probably shouldn't have another glass. It's getting really late. Maybe I should head back to my loft."

Kurt continued pouring two glasses of wine. He handed one glass to Blaine – despite what he'd just said. "No. I don't want you to go. I want you to stay. We've already lost so much time. Please stay with me, Blaine. Please."

Blaine knew he would deny Kurt nothing. "Ok. I'll stay."

* * *

Kurt woke up feeling more rested than he had in years…definitely more rested than he had in months. He smiled before opening his eyes and reached his hand to the other side of bed, expecting to find Blaine lying next to him. Instead he found empty sheets. He opened his eyes to confirm what he already felt – he was alone…Blaine was not there. He glanced at the clock on the nightstand. It was only 6:24am – too early for Blaine to have left for work.

When Blaine had agreed to stay the night last night Kurt asked him to take the day off so they could spend it together. Blaine had told Kurt that while he'd love nothing more than that, he had to go into the office. He was hoping to hear back from Det. Walton today regarding his interrogation of Jace Lavine…assuming he'd been able to bring him in.

Panic was beginning to set in. What if Blaine had woken up in the middle of the night and was freaked out about Kurt's huge declaration of love? What if Blaine wasn't ready for this? Kurt had finally decided to open back up to Blaine and let him in fully and what if Blaine had changed his mind? All of these horrible scenarios were running through Kurt's head when he heard his bedroom door creek open.

Blaine stuck his head in the door and saw that Kurt had woken up. "Good morning, baby. I'm sorry if I woke you."

When Kurt saw Blaine's head peek through the door – curls free from their gel and springing everywhere – he smiled. "You didn't wake me. But I will say that I was a little freaked out when I woke up and you weren't lying next to me. I thought maybe you'd changed your mind…" Kurt trailed off sheepishly, feeling a little embarrassed about jumping to that conclusion.

"What? Never!" Blaine walked over to the bed and climbed in next to Kurt, opening up his arms so Kurt could snuggle in close. "Are you kidding? You said the most beautiful words to me yesterday, Kurt. You told me you loved me. I'm never leaving you again." Blaine spoke in the most serious tone he had so he could convey how he meant every word. And he did too…he was never leaving Kurt again.

Kurt smiled and snuggled in closer – if that was even possible. "So, what was it that dragged you from our bed at his early hour?"

Blaine squeezed Kurt tighter in his arms. "Our bed?"

Kurt rearranged his head so he was looking at Blaine. "I'm sorry. Was that too much?"

"No." Blaine smiled at him. "Not at all."

Kurt adjusted again, resting his chin on his hands – still resting on Blaine's chest. "Ok, well then I am about to really go out on a limb then." Kurt smiled. "You're not scared are you?"

"About what you're about to say? Absolutely not."

Kurt took a deep, calming breath. "So you haven't moved out of the company loft yet have you?" Kurt took in Blaine's shake of the head. "What would you think about moving in here? I mean, unless you think it's too early. Then I'm totally fine with you keeping the loft and we can take things slow and just see how things progress. I'm fine with whatever you're more comfortable with…" Kurt was talking so fast he barely had time to take a breath.

Blaine laughed. "Kurt, slow down. Breathe." He waited for Kurt to calm down a little bit. He was completely shocked at what Kurt had just asked. I mean, of course Blaine wanted to live with Kurt. He wanted to marry him, have kids with him, and grow old with him. He just didn't think Kurt would want to move that quickly.

"Blaine? You're not saying anything. It's too soon isn't it?" Kurt looked a little disappointed.

"I didn't say that. I just don't think me moving in here is the best option."

"Oh. Ok." Kurt turned his head so he wasn't facing Blaine anymore.

Blaine gently grabbed Kurt's face and turned it to face him again. "Hey, hey, hey. I didn't say I didn't want to live with you. I just said that I didn't think me moving in here was the answer." Kurt looked at him with a confused expression. Blaine continued. "What would you think of us looking for another place? I mean, this place is great but it's a little small for the two of us. Plus, I'm making really good money and you're on the brink of becoming the world's best designer so I think we can afford something that would fit the both of us. And, it would be a real fresh start for us to begin our lives together."

Kurt beamed. "Yes! Yes! I would love that!" He stretched his face forward to kiss Blaine.

Blaine immediately leaned into the kiss. He would never grow tired of kissing Kurt. They both deepened the kiss at the same time, their tongues dancing together, fitting perfectly. They were born for this – just to kiss each other. Before long, Kurt's hands began moving, roaming down Blaine's body, stopping at his nipples and pinching them lightly. Blaine's hips jerked up as his already full-blown erection was asking for friction. Kurt seemed to know what Blaine's body was asking for. He slid his hand down and palmed Blaine's erection.

Blaine moaned deeply, so deeply it almost came out as a growl. "Kurt, you have to stop."

Kurt was kissing Blaine's jawline. "Do you really want me to stop?"

Blaine moaned again. "Of course not. No, don't stop." He found pure pleasure in Kurt's hand continuing to rub his boxer-covered erection. "No, wait. Kurt. You have to stop." Blaine desperately did not want to continue this statement. But he didn't want to hurt Kurt either. "You're not physically able to continue."

"No, I can't have sex yet. But, no one said anything about blow jobs." Kurt returned his lips to nibbling on Blaine's earlobe and his hand went right back to stroking Blaine.

"Oh God, Kurt. You're going to be the death of me."

Kurt chuckled and shifted so he could reach his other hand down to Blaine's waist. His hands roamed down until they found the waist band of Blaine's boxers. Kurt shuffled down Blaine's body. He tugged lightly while Blaine lifted his hips. Once the boxers were gone, Blaine's erection sprung up, meeting Kurt's mouth. He slowly sunk his mouth around Blaine, taking him in fully.

"Ooooohhhh, Kuuuurt. God, baby that feels so good." It had been so long since Blaine had felt this complete. The last two times he'd been with Kurt in this way, Kurt didn't want the same things Blaine did. Now they were in the same place. They wanted the same things. They shared the same feelings. They were beginning their lives together.

Kurt continued his up and down motion, deep throating Blaine. Then he would change speeds and move faster, licking the underside of Blaine's cock before taking his balls into his mouth. Next, he would take just the head of Blaine in his mouth, licking at the slit and savoring the taste of his pre-come. He enjoyed all of the sounds Blaine was making. They went straight to his own cock. But that didn't matter. All that mattered was Blaine. He was waiting on that delicious taste of Blaine shooting down his throat. He longed for it.

"Oh, baby. You are amazing. Oh, God." The things Kurt was doing to him – words could not explain. He began to feel that familiar coil in the pit of his stomach. "Fuck, Kurt. Oh God…I'm going to come! Shit!" Blaine began exploding down Kurt's throat. "Fuck, fuck! Shit! God, Kurt. I love you, baby!" Blaine was spent. That was probably the most amazing blow job he'd ever received.

The taste of Blaine in his mouth was heaven. He didn't realize how much he'd missed this. Sharing this beautiful experience with the man he loved…Kurt felt like this day couldn't get any better. He allowed Blaine's breathing to return to normal while he slowly peppered his torso and chest with kisses before returning his lips to Blaine's.

Blaine returned the kiss in full force. "God, baby. That was amazing." He immediately returned to kissing. Once he had Kurt entranced, he ever so slowly rolled Kurt over onto his back. Blaine smiled at him. "Allow me to return the favor."

Kurt smiled. There was no way he was going to say no to that. He didn't pleasure Blaine with the expectation that Blaine would pleasure him in return. But, oh God, how he felt like he'd been waiting forever to feel Blaine's mouth around him again.

Blaine took his time with Kurt. Savoring every moment. He never thought he'd ever get a chance to worship Kurt's body again. Kurt moaned and groaned with every move Blaine made. Kurt lasted longer than Blaine thought he would. Before long, Kurt was shooting down Blaine's mouth, shouting curse words along with telling Blaine that he loved him too.

Once they were both fully satisfied, they snuggled up together again. "So…" Kurt began. "You never did tell me what dragged you out of our bed so early this morning."

Blaine glanced over at the clock. A full hour had passed. "Shit!" Blaine exclaimed. "I'm late. I'm going to be late for work." Blaine got out of bed easily, so as not to disturb Kurt.

Kurt groaned. "No, Blaine. Don't go into work today. Stay with me."

Blaine turned around and smiled at him. "That's why I was up so early. I was calling Emily to check and see if I had any important meetings for this afternoon. I only plan on working for half of the day. I want to see if I can get in touch with Det. Walton this morning. Then, I'll come home for lunch and we can spend the afternoon together."

Kurt grinned. "I like the sound of that."

"Besides," Blaine began. "We've got an apartment to begin hunting for!"

* * *

Blaine called Emily and told her he was running late. He had to stop by the loft to change clothes since when he woke up yesterday, he had no idea that the day would end with his reconciliation with Kurt. Feeling guilty, he made it into the office an hour late. He was smiling to himself as he entered the building, having just read the 5th text from Kurt since he'd left that morning. They all said the same thing: _I miss you already. Hurry home!_

Blaine rushed through the front door, panting. "Hey Emily. I'm sorry I'm late."

She smiled. "Hey, I don't keep track of your time. And don't worry. Mr. Rhoades hasn't come in yet. He had an early meeting downtown. Landry has been looking for you though." She stopped and looked through her notes. "Oh and I have this message for you. I think you're going to want to return this call as soon as possible." She smiled at him as she handed him the message.

Blaine glanced down at the message Emily had just handed him. He beamed. "Det. Walton called? You're right, Emily. I'm going to return this call right now. I'll find Landry when I'm done with the detective. Thanks!"

Blaine practically ran to his office. He closed the door behind him and sat down at his desk. He waited impatiently as his computer loaded. He pulled up the file he'd been keeping on Kurt's case and opened a new word document so he could make notes regarding his conversation with Det. Walton. Finally, he dialed the number.

"Det. Walton."

"Good morning Det. Walton. It's Blaine Anderson returning your call." Blaine's heart was beating out of his chest. This one phone call could determine how they progressed with Kurt's case – actually it would determine if there was any progress at all.

"Oh, Mr. Anderson. Hello. I'm sorry I wasn't able to get back to you yesterday. Tracking down Mr. Lavine proved to be a pretty difficult task. While we were looking for him I did speak with Mr. Hummel's doctor, as well as the main nurse that was charged with his care."

Blaine shivered. That meant that he'd spoken to Kevin. Blaine had been so wrapped up in the fact that he and Kurt had gotten back together, he never asked how Kevin had taken the break up. If he was bitter could he have lied to the detective about the severity of Kurt's condition while he was in the hospital? "And how did they describe Kurt's condition when he entered the hospital?"

"They pretty much confirmed what the two of you told me yesterday. Dr. Richardson told me that Mr. Hummel had been unconscious for four days due to his injuries. He told me that he had a severe head injury and that one eye had been swollen shut. The broken arm, leg and ankle didn't seem to cause worry to the doctor. It was the head injury as well as the broken ribs." Det. Walton paused. Blaine could hear papers shuffling in the background. "Oh, here it is. The doctor did confirm that when Mr. Hummel had initially been brought into the ER his condition was touch and go. The broken ribs were dangerously close to puncturing his lungs and if he had not received the proper medication in the time frame that he did, he would not have survived the attack."

Blaine's stomach turned. He felt sick. "So, you're basically saying that they left him for dead in that alley? If Mr. Newman had not found Mr. Hummel when he did, it's entirely possible that Mr. Hummel would have died?"

"According to the doctor, it's not a possibility, it's a certainty."

Blaine's fists balled up in anger. If the NYPD or the DA would not take care of those assholes that did that to Kurt, Blaine would take care of them himself. "Ok, and as far as Mr. Lavine. Have you been able to locate him?"

Det. Walton chuckled. "We did, Mr. Anderson. It is not professional for me to say this, but that is one stupid kid. I had a few street cops staking out the girlfriend's house. He showed up late yesterday evening. I told them to haul the kid in. He broke and confessed within the first five minutes of interrogating him. The guy with the baseball bat was a guy named Tony Watkins. I did some digging. He's a kid from Harlem that has a pretty long rap sheet."

Blaine was pretty shocked that the confession had come so easily. "Ok. So now what?"

"Well, I'm going to forward the signed confession over to your office. I wouldn't be expecting it for another day or two though. We've got officers on their way as we speak to pick up Mr. Watkins. We still need to speak to him as well as Ms. Jones."

"Ms. Jones? As in Kayla Jones? From The House of Rosaline Spencer?" Blaine knew he shouldn't be surprised that they were bringing her in.

"Yes. Mr. Lavine turned on his girlfriend. Apparently she masterminded the entire thing." Det. Walton paused for a moment. "We need to get her story, Mr. Watkins' story and then compile everything. Once we do that, we'll make a recommendation of charges for you to submit to the DA. You should receive it by the end of the week. I'll make sure to give you a call if something else develops."

"Thank you, detective. Would you mind telling me, if you can, what charges you think you'll recommend?"

"Well based on the information we received from Mr. Hummel's doctor, as well as the information Mr. Lavine provided during his interrogation, it looks like we'll be recommending Attempted Murder in the First Degree."

Blaine sighed. "Ok, thank you so much."

Det. Walton had heard Blaine's sigh. "Mr. Anderson, if I may be so forward to ask, are you in a relationship with Mr. Hummel?"

Blaine didn't know how to respond. It was unprofessional to be involved with your client, but he and Kurt didn't officially get together until after Blaine began representing him. But, now that they were back together, Blaine didn't want to ever deny it. Blaine also remembered the apparent homophobia seeping from the detective yesterday. He decided to play it safe for the moment…just until he knew the detective's motives. "Well, he and I have known each other since high school, so we're close. Why do you ask?"

Det. Walton could sense Blaine's hesitation. "Honestly, what you and Mr. Hummel do in your private life is none of my business. But I gathered from your behavior yesterday that you were close and I just wanted to warn you that Mr. Lavine's statement regarding the attack on Mr. Hummel is very graphic. The details of what really went down in that alley are more graphic than anything you would have heard from Mr. Hummel or his doctors. If your relationship with him goes beyond professional, you might want to think twice about reading the entire statement. It will be very difficult to read."

Blaine rubbed his temples. "Thank you for the warning. Unfortunately, I'll have to read it in order to prepare my package for the DA. But again, thank you for warning me."

"Mr. Anderson, I've been in this business for years. You should be able to proceed with preparing your package for the DA based on my recommendation alone. Trust me, I've seen the DA proceed with far less than what I am going to provide you with. But, the information will all be there so you are free to do with it as you wish."

Blaine sighed. "Thank you, Det. Walton. You have been very helpful. I am looking forward to briefing Mr. Hummel about the developments and I look forward to receiving your report."

Blaine and Det. Walton exchanged their goodbyes and Blaine typed up some quick notes summarizing their conversation. Then he remembered that Landry had been looking for him. He got up and walked down the hall to Landry's office. He passed Mr. Rhoades office on the way, noticing that he had not made it into the office yet. He knocked on Landry's door and opened the door when he heard Landry give permission to enter.

"Hey, Landry. Emily told me you were looking for me."

Landry looked up. "Blaine! Yes, I have a question for you. Feel free to say no – but just know that you really don't have the option to say no."

Blaine laughed. He could tell by Landry's tone that this was not a business question. "Ok, what is it?"

"Well, we're all going back to Bleakers on Friday. You have to come and sing another song. You were amazing last week, Blaine."

Blaine felt his stomach flip. He really didn't want to go back to Bleakers. Not after the last time he was there – seeing Kurt with Kevin and singing that emotional song. Although, that night did put him back on the path to getting back together with Kurt. "You know, Landry…that wasn't a question."

Landry laughed. "Semantics, Blaine. So, what do you say? Are you in?"

Blaine thought for a moment. He had an idea. He would have to clear it with Kurt first, but the song he had in mind felt right. Blaine smiled. "Yeah, I'm in."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Kurt and Blaine are Klaine again! I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I had fun writing it! And I wanted to leave this on a cliffhanger that isn't really a cliffhanger. And always remember...I know the legal world doesn't exactly work the way I have it working in my fic. But I need it to work this way for me and fiction is fiction right? :)
> 
> Next up Blaine will talk to Kurt about his discussion with Det. Walton.
> 
> I'll see ya next weekend sometime.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Saturday everyone! I've got another long chapter for you...Also, as I've stated before - I am fully aware that in reality, Kurt's case would not proceed the way I'm writing it with regards to lawyer Blaine, the NYPD and the DA. That is why this is fiction and not nonfiction so I'm asking that ya'll suspend reality a bit for the sake of the story and just go with it. This is totally AU with regards to how the legal system works in my fic! :)
> 
> Mistakes are all mine.
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing...

Kurt hated it so much after Blaine had left for work that morning that he'd sent him no less than five text messages telling him that he missed him and to hurry home. He slowly got out of bed and hopped into the kitchen. He knew he should be using his wheelchair instead of hopping around but he was tired of being an invalid. He quickly made himself a bowl of cereal and turned his laptop on. He figured he'd get a head of the game and start browsing the classified ads for apartments to rent. He found several that he thought might work in regards to location to his office and Blaine's office. If they were going to live together it would be nice if they compromised on their commute. Kurt thought for a moment…he didn't have any idea how much money Blaine made so he wasn't sure what price range he should be looking in – or rather what price range he should avoid. He'd have to ask Blaine once he got home.

Home. Thinking of himself and Blaine building a home together made him happier than he could ever imagine. Things were really looking up. His career was taking off, his personal life was taking off. Now, if he could just get over these damn injuries, he'd be 100% happy. He made a few notes of which apartments he'd show Blaine once he got back and then opened his email. Despite Ms. Spencer giving him time off to focus on a potential upcoming trial, he had a few work emails that he wanted to answer and work on. Besides, he knew that if he kept himself busy, it would seem as if Blaine would get home sooner.

Kurt wasn't sure how much time had passed when he was interrupted by his cell phone ringing. He looked at the caller ID, hoping it was Blaine. No such luck – Kevin. He thought about not answering. But he remembered that Kevin really had been a good sport when they'd broken up yesterday.

"Hello?"

"Um, hey Kurt. It's Kevin."

"Hey, Kevin. What's up?"

Kevin paused for a moment. "Well, I just wanted to let you know that I had a very lengthy conversation with a police detective yesterday evening. He was asking all kinds of questions about your condition when you were brought into the hospital. I'm assuming that means whatever video Blaine wanted you to see turned out to be something positive."

"Yeah, it was. Turns out he had videos of the men that assaulted me. And, I knew one of them. So we went and spoke with the detective yesterday afternoon and he told us that in addition to interrogating him, he might be contacting the hospital to speak with Dr. Richardson. I didn't know he'd be speaking with you too." Kurt felt uneasy. "I would have warned you if I'd known."

"Kurt, it's ok. Was what I said helpful?"

"Um, I don't know yet. Det. Walton told us he would call us yesterday if he had any updates but we didn't hear from him. Blaine went into the office this morning to follow up, but I haven't heard from him since he left, so I'm not sure what the status is." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Kurt knew that he had subconsciously informed Kevin that he and Blaine had spent the night together.

Kevin didn't miss Kurt's slip of the tongue. "So, are you and Blaine…?"

Kurt decided to be honest. "Yes. We are." Kurt felt bad for hurting Kevin. He really was a nice guy and there wasn't really anything wrong with him. He just wasn't Blaine. "I'm sorry, Kevin. I know that must hurt to hear but we talked about everything last night and…well…we kinda found our way back to each other."

"It's ok. I think I knew all along that you two were going to end up back together. I saw the way he looked at you. I guess it just took you longer to realize it." Kevin took in a deep breath. "I hope everything works out for you. I mean it. And, let me know if there is anything else I can do…either with your case or medically. Speaking of which, how are you feeling?"

Kurt smiled to himself. "I'm actually feeling pretty good. My ribs are feeling better and I'll be back in the hospital in a couple of days to see about getting this cast off of my ankle."

"That's good to hear. If you can get the cast off of your ankle, the doctor might be able to put a walking cast on your broken leg so you could walk." Kevin could hear Kurt's hopeful gasp. "But, I'm not a doctor so obviously they'll need to look at an x-ray before making any decisions."

"I know. I'm trying not to get my hopes up." Kurt paused. "Thanks again Kevin. Really. I know things between us didn't go as you hoped they would but thanks again for being so great about everything. Maybe in the future we can be friends."

Kevin laughed. "Yeah, maybe. Take care Kurt."

They exchanged goodbyes and Kurt went back to working on answering some work emails. He was having trouble concentrating. He wondered why he hadn't heard from Blaine yet. He glanced at the clock and saw that it was just after noon. Then he looked down at himself and realized that he hadn't even gotten dressed. Well this would not do. Blaine could not come home to his boyfriend and find him looking like a bum. Kurt got up and hobbled into the bathroom and began bathing himself as best as he could. Then he hopped into the bedroom and selected his clothes for the day. He was really looking forward to getting the casts off of his leg and ankle. They were the worst fashion accessories. He hadn't been able to wear skinny jeans since his accident. He groaned as he pulled out yet another pair of wide legged jeans that he'd been forced to buy for himself after his accident.

He'd just finished getting dressed and styling his hair when he heard someone knocking on his front door. He wondered who that could be. He wasn't expecting anyone other than Blaine. Blaine! He didn't have a key to his apartment and he was sure that his front door was locked.

"Coming!" He shouted. He hopped to the front door and opened it to find Blaine standing there with his hands behind his back.

Blaine smiled big and bright when Kurt opened the door. Then he revealed what he'd been hiding as he handed Kurt a dozen red long stemmed roses. "These are for you." He leaned in and kissed Kurt softly on the lips.

Kurt smiled. "Thank you! What are they for?"

"Well, let me in and I'll tell you."

Kurt hopped back. "Oh, yes. Come in."

Blaine furrowed his brows and frowned at Kurt. "Kurt, why are you hopping around? You should be using your wheelchair…especially after what happened the last time you were hopping around in here."

Kurt bowed his head a little guiltily. "You're right. I just hate that thing." By this time, he'd hopped into his kitchen and was putting water in a vase for the roses. "Now, are you going to tell me what these are for?"

Blaine slid up behind Kurt and rested his head on Kurt's shoulder. "Can't they just be because you love me and I love you?"

Kurt turned his head and gave Blaine a little kiss on his nose. "Well, yes they can but something tells me they're for something else."

By this time Kurt had finished arranging the roses in the vase. He threw one arm over Blaine's shoulder and Blaine immediately knew that Kurt was asking for help into the living room. Together they made their way to the couch and sat down.

Kurt linked his hand with Blaine's. "Now, try again. What are the roses really for?"

Blaine tightened his grip on Kurt's hand. "I'm not setting you up for something bad, if that's what you think. It's just that I spoke to Det. Walton today and got quite a bit of information from him. Good information. So, I got the roses because good things are happening for us, Kurt. I wanted to celebrate."

Kurt smiled. "So, what did the detective have to say?"

Blaine smiled bigger. "Well, in a nutshell, Jace Lavine confessed. He revealed who his partner in crime was and he also revealed that Kayla was the mastermind behind the entire thing. And he did speak to the hospital about your condition when you were admitted that day."

"I know about that." Kurt saw the confused look on Blaine's face. "Kevin called me earlier today. He just wanted me to know that he'd been contacted, that's all."

Blaine thought for a moment. Kevin must not have known how bad Kurt's situation was when he was admitted. After all, he wasn't Kurt's initial nurse. Although he probably read Kurt's chart so he must have known how close to dying Kurt had actually been. Kevin was not Blaine's favorite person but he was thankful that he had not informed Kurt of how bad things really were. Blaine had no intention of telling Kurt either.

"Blaine? You're lost in your thoughts. You're not mad that Kevin called me are you? Because I can assure you that all he wanted was to let me know that Det. Walton had called him." Kurt leaned in closer. "I love you, remember?"

Blaine leaned in to meet Kurt. "No, I'm not mad Kevin called you. I was just thinking, that's all. And, I love you too."

Ok, Kurt knew when Blaine was keeping something from him. "Spill, Anderson."

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't forget how well we know each other. I know you're keeping something from me. There's something you're not telling me."

Blaine rubbed his temples. "Uh, well. Oh, Det. Walton told me that I should be receiving all of his combined statements by the end of the week, along with his recommendation and then I'll sit down and prepare my package to the DA. Hopefully we'll head to court and justice will be served."

Kurt thought for a minute. He had several questions. "Ok, I have questions. One, who was the person working with Jace?"

"A guy named Tony Watkins. Does the name ring a bell?"

Kurt thought. "No. Question two, what charges are they going to recommend?"

Blaine didn't really want to answer this one. He knew it would bring even more questions. He wouldn't lie to Kurt, though. "Attempted Murder."

Kurt's eyes widened. "Attempted Murder? Wow, ok. So that charge obviously hinges on what the hospital said. What did the doctor say?"

"Didn't Kevin tell you?"

"No, he just told me he'd been contacted." Kurt took in Blaine's expression. "But something tells me you know. You might as well go ahead and tell me because you know I'm going to keep bugging you until you do."

Blaine sighed. "I don't know the details. Honestly, I don't." Blaine was thankful for that truth. "But, apparently your condition was bad. Really bad."

"Like how bad?"

Blaine closed his eyes. "Like if Liam Newman hadn't found you when he did, you wouldn't have survived, bad."

The room grew silent. Kurt felt like his head was spinning. He'd known on a superficial level that he could have died. He knew that he'd had a severe head injury. He knew that his face had been beaten so badly that one of his eyes had been swollen shut. He knew that he'd been in coma for four days. He knew all of this. But there was still a small part of him that thought that maybe things hadn't really been that bad. But the look on Blaine's face told him that it really had been that bad. Blaine looked pained. He looked physically ill at the thought of how bad his injuries had been. All of this had been confirmed to Blaine by Kurt's doctor. Now Kurt felt ill.

Blaine said nothing. He just let Kurt absorb the information. Blaine knew that Kurt understood how lucky he was that his injuries were ultimately superficial and he would recover 100% from them. But the look on Kurt's face told Blaine that he didn't really know how bad things really were.

They sat in silence for a while before Blaine finally spoke. "Kurt, are you ok?"

Blaine's voice broke Kurt out of his trance. He looked at Blaine. "I want to know. I want to know exactly what they did to me."

"I told you, I don't know the details."

Kurt just looked at him. "You might not now, but you're going to and when you do, I need to know."

Blaine shook his head. "Kurt, Det. Walton told me the details were pretty graphic. I'm not sure I'm even going to read them."

"Well, that's your choice. But my choice is that I need to know. I sat next to Kayla for months, day after day. No, we weren't friends but we were civil with each other and shared ideas and I got coffee for her several times a week for fuck's sake! And to know that she developed a plot that could have killed me? I thought I was being dramatic when I would say that before. But no!" Kurt's voice was getting louder and louder. "She wanted me dead! DEAD! All because I got a promotion that she wanted? Are you fucking kidding me, Blaine?"

"Kurt, please calm down. I know, ok? Believe me, I felt the same things when Det. Walton told me this morning. And Kayla is going to get her day in court. None of them are getting away with this."

"But what if they do, Blaine? What if the DA decides not to pursue? You told me that it's never a guarantee."

Blaine silently told himself that whether or not the DA chose to pursue the case, Kayla, Jace and Tony would not get away with this. He would take care of things himself if he had to. "Kurt, Det. Walton told me that he'd seen the DA pursue with weaker information than this. You need to have faith."

Kurt calmed down. "I have faith in you. I wouldn't know any of this if it weren't for you. I can't believe that I almost let you slip through my fingers…" Kurt's emotions began to get the best of him and he began to tear up.

"Shhh, Kurt. It's ok. We're together now and that's all that matters. I promise you, everything will be ok in the end. This is only going to make us stronger because we know what it's like to be apart so we will never take our relationship for granted ever again. I love you." Blaine leaned in and kissed Kurt.

Kurt kissed him back. It was tender and gentle – not intending to lead anywhere, just intending to reassure each other of their true feelings. Blaine pulled back first and looked at Kurt. "So, are you feeling better?"

Kurt smiled. "Yes. You have such a calming influence on me. Thank you."

Blaine stood up and walked into the kitchen. He grabbed a bottle of water and offered one to Kurt. He noticed Kurt's laptop was open on the counter. "Were you working today?"

"Yeah, a little bit. I got bored waiting for you to come home." Kurt winked at him.

Blaine smiled. "Speaking of which…what do you say we get our afternoon back on track and look for some apartments?"

Kurt sighed. "You know? I'd rather not today. I want the day that we find our home to be a perfect day. I don't want it tainted with talk of the DA and attempted murder charges and realizing how close I came to actually dying. Are you ok with that?"

Blaine walked over and sat down next to Kurt. "Of course. I completely understand. I want the day that we find our home to be perfect too. But…"

"But? But what?" Kurt looked a little panicked.

"No, nothing bad. No more bad news today, I promise. I was just going to say that at some point today I'll need to go back to the loft. I don't have any clothes or any of my personal items here. Now forgive me if I'm being presumptuous here, but I'm assuming you don't want to go back to sleeping alone."

"No! Definitely not!" Kurt grabbed Blaine's hand and Blaine could feel it was trembling quite a bit.

"Kurt? What's wrong, baby?"

"I'm scared." Kurt said so softly Blaine wasn't even sure he'd heard correctly.

"Scared of what?"

"What if they come back for me? I mean, you told me just yesterday that if I decided not to pursue this then they still could come back for me. What if they do?"

Blaine's heart broke for Kurt. "Oh, baby, they're not going to come back for you. Jace is already being held and Det. Walton told me they were working on bringing Kayla and Tony Watkins in this morning. Trust me, after Jace confessed what they'd done and who was behind the whole thing, there's no way Det. Walton will let them back on the streets."

"But when you spoke to him this morning, Kayla and this Tony guy were still out there right?" Kurt was still trembling.

"Do you want me to call Det. Walton and get an update? Would that help?" Blaine saw Kurt's tiny nod. "Ok. I'll call." Blaine got up and picked up his cell phone. He dialed Det. Walton's number. He answered on the second ring.

"Mr. Anderson. What can I do for you?"

"Hello detective. I'm sorry if I'm bothering you but I was wondering if you had any updates Kayla Jones and Tony Watkins." Blaine had him on speakerphone so Kurt could hear the conversation.

"Oh, it's no bother. Actually, yes. We picked up Mr. Watkins shortly after I spoke to you this morning. He denied the whole thing but while I was interrogating him, we had a search warrant issued and a team searched his apartment. And guess what?" Det. Walton paused for dramatic flair. "There was a baseball bat buried in his closet. There was blood on the bat. We're assuming it belongs to Mr. Hummel but we're still waiting on test results to confirm that."

"So you're holding him." Blaine knew the answer to that question but he needed Kurt to hear it for his own piece of mind.

"Oh absolutely. We're holding him on suspicion but once the test results come back confirming the blood is Mr. Hummel's we'll be able to hold him until the DA makes their decision."

"And Kayla Jones?"

Det. Walton sighed. "She's a bit more of a challenge. We picked up Jace Lavine from her home so she got wise and split. We haven't been able to locate her yet."

Blaine still felt Kurt trembling next to him. "What are your plans then?"

"Well, we're monitoring her home, as well as her cell phone and credit cards. Don't worry, Mr. Anderson. I'm confident we'll have her in no time."

Blaine glanced over at Kurt, then looked back at his phone. "Det. Walton, do you think Mr. Hummel should be concerned for his safety?"

"Honestly? I don't think so. Look, Kayla's brain might have been behind what happened, but she definitely doesn't have it in her to pull off the physicality of it. Besides, she knows we're on to her. Chances are she'll steer clear of Mr. Hummel and The House of Rosaline Spencer."

Blaine could feel Kurt calm down a bit. "Ok, thank you detective. I appreciate it."

"It's not a problem, Mr. Anderson. I'll be in touch with any developments."

They said their goodbyes and Blaine turned to look at Kurt. "Do you feel any better?"

Kurt sighed. "Maybe a little but it's still disturbing knowing that she's still out there. I mean, I know that he said she probably won't come anywhere near me but still…"

Blaine tugged lightly on Kurt's hand, indicating he wanted him to stand up. Together they walked into the bedroom. Blaine laid down and opened his arms for Kurt to cuddle into him. They stayed there, silent, just like that for a while before Blaine spoke up. "I won't leave you alone, Kurt. I'll make sure nothing happens to you."

Kurt snuggled into Blaine even further. "Blaine, you have to work. You can't stay by my side 24/7."

Blaine knew Kurt had a point. But he would give up his life to keep Kurt safe. And if he would give up his life, he'd definitely give up his career to keep him safe. "Don't worry. We'll figure something out.

* * *

Blaine ultimately felt like it would be a good idea for both of them to stay at the loft until they could find an apartment of their own, or until Det. Walton had Kayla in custody…whichever came first. The law firm had their lofts in a building with security and while Kurt couldn't be sure if Kayla knew where he lived or not (who knew if she had accessed his personal records from work), there was no way she knew where the loft was located. Plus, the loft was much closer to Blaine's office and seeing as Kurt wasn't currently going into his office, he could work anywhere. An overwhelming sense of peace fell over Kurt at Blaine's suggestion. He agreed without hesitation.

They spent the evening packing up enough of Kurt's clothes and moisturizing products to last through the end of the week. Blaine laughed to himself but never said a word regarding the amount of luggage Kurt packed. It was Tuesday night so Kurt would only need enough clothes for maybe four days but Kurt had packed as if he were going on a month long vacation. Blaine found it endearing. He would go along with whatever made Kurt more comfortable.

Blaine went outside to the curb and hailed a cab, then carried down Kurt's luggage. After all of the luggage was carried down and loaded in the cab, Blaine assisted Kurt downstairs and into the cab as well. Kurt apologized profusely about not being able to help with the luggage, while Blaine shushed him, understanding totally that Kurt's injuries prevented him from lugging suitcases down three flights of stairs.

Kurt had never been to the loft that Blaine was staying in. To say he was impressed was a huge understatement. He immediately felt safe with the doorman checking IDs before allowing anyone into the building. He assured Kurt that someone was on duty 24 hours a day. Thankfully, Blaine was staying in a loft of the first floor so that made bringing in the luggage that much easier.

Once they had made the last trip out to retrieve luggage, Kurt found himself settled on the couch. He looked over at Blaine, who was currently locking the deadbolt on the front door. "Wow, Blaine. This place is impressive!"

Blaine smiled as he walked over and sat next to Kurt. "Thanks. I'm really fortunate that they let me stay here until I could find a place for myself." Blaine winked at Kurt. "Well, a place for both of us now."

"I did spend some time this morning looking for some places. You know, places that would be equal distance from our offices. But…" Kurt trailed off, wanting to explain it was hard to know exactly what to look for when he wasn't sure how much they could afford. He felt a little embarrassed asking Blaine how much money he makes.

"But what?"

"Well, uh, it's a little difficult not knowing exactly what price range is safe and what price range to avoid."

Blaine chuckled. "So, you want to know how much money I make?"

"No! I mean, it's none of my business. It's just…" He trailed off again.

Blaine smiled. "Kurt, it's no big deal. We're together now. For the long haul, right?" Blaine saw Kurt nod at him. "Ok, then my business is your business. Which made me think…what would you think about maybe buying a place instead of renting?"

Kurt's eyes widened. "You want to buy?"

"Well, you don't plan on leaving New York anytime in the near future do you? Besides, I think it would be a good investment."

Kurt thought for a moment. "No, of course I don't plan on leaving New York anytime soon. It's just…I don't know. Buying seems so…I don't know, permanent."

Blaine frowned. "I thought you just said we were in this for the long haul. Do you not see us as a permanent thing?"

"No! That's not what I'm saying, Blaine. Of course I see us as permanent." Kurt grabbed Blaine's hand. "I just figured things out. I just got you back. I'm not letting you go. You're stuck with me."

Blaine smiled. "Good because you're stuck with me too. I just thought that we'd probably be paying just as much in rent as we would for a mortgage and real estate is always a good investment. But, I don't want to push you into anything." Blaine got up and walked over to the desk in the living room. "Here, I'll write down what I can afford monthly, add what you can contribute and then you can search places for rent and for sale. That will be a good project for you tomorrow." Blaine winked at him.

Kurt looked at the piece of paper Blaine had just handed him. "Wow! They're paying you really well!" Kurt mentally added what he thought he could contribute. Blaine was right. Looking for places both for sale and rent would double the options for them. "Wait, did you just say it would be a good project for me tomorrow? You don't want to help me look? I mean, this is going to be our home, Blaine."

"I know, Kurt and of course I want to help. It's just that I have to work tomorrow and since you'll be here maybe you can find a few places online that we might like and then we can go look at them together. Besides, you just told me that you'd been doing that earlier this morning."

Kurt bowed his head. "I know. I just don't want you to leave me tomorrow."

Blaine returned to Kurt's side and lifted his head so they were looking at each other in the eyes. "Kurt, baby, I'm not leaving you in the sense that you're referring. You know I have to work. And you are 100% safe in this building. Kayla will not make it past security." Blaine leaned forward and kissed Kurt softly on the lips.

Kurt pulled back and had the saddest look on his face. "What if she gets someone else to come here for her?"

"Awww, sweetie are you really worried about that?"

Kurt pulled back further. "Don't make fun of me, Blaine. I was almost killed."

Blaine pulled Kurt's hands and pulled him closer. "I am not making fun of you, baby. I would never do that when it comes to this situation. Remember, we're not sure that Kayla knows where your apartment is and she definitely doesn't know where my loft is. I will have a talk with Robert in the morning. He's the security guard on the day shift. He can see our front door from his post. I'll make sure he takes extra care to watch our front door while I'm gone tomorrow." Blaine noticed Kurt's frown when he mentioned leaving for work in the morning. "Baby, I know you don't want me to leave but I have to. I'm assisting on a few other cases and there are some meetings scheduled that I have to attend tomorrow. I promise I'll check on you as often as I can and I'll be home as soon as it's possible for me to leave."

Kurt felt bad for making Blaine feel guilty. "I know. I know you have to work. I'm just being paranoid. It's silly."

"It's not silly." Blaine leaned in and kissed Kurt again. The kiss quickly deepened, tongues quickly entering each other's mouths. Both men found themselves moaning and it wasn't long before their pants were extra tight due to their erections.

"Fuck!" Kurt pulled back.

Blaine was panting. "What? Oh God, Kurt. Did I hurt you?"

"No. It's just…damn! Blaine, I want to have sex with you. No, scratch that…I want you to make love to me. But these damn ribs make it impossible." Kurt was frustrated.

Blaine tenderly ran the back of his hand against Kurt's cheek. "Baby, I know. I want that too, especially since we found each other again – I mean, really found each other. But I don't want you to hurt yourself anymore. And anyway, don't you have a checkup this week?"

"Yes. Thursday morning. I'm praying that I'll get rid of this stupid ankle cast and maybe they'll tell me my ribs have healed enough for me to allow you to fuck me into next week."

Blaine laughed. "Knowing you, you'll ask the doctor in those exact terms." Blaine then saw a change in Kurt's face. "What's wrong?"

"Uh, well…originally Kevin was going to take me to my appointment. That's not exactly a viable option now. With you working this week, I need to find someone to take me."

"Don't worry about it, Kurt. I'll take you."'

"How exactly is that going to work if you have to work the rest of the week?"

"Kurt, I love you and now that we're committed to spending our lives together your medical care is a top priority of mine. Don't you worry about a thing. I'll take you." Blaine patted Kurt's thigh and then got up. "What do you say we get ready for bed and then curl up and watch a movie? I don't think you noticed that this place has a king sized bed."

"Yes, that sounds perfect." Kurt smiled and took a hold of Blaine's outstretched hand.

* * *

The next morning, Kurt moaned and groaned the entire time Blaine was getting ready for work. Kurt hated feeling this scared – this vulnerable. It was like hearing what the doctor had said about how bad his injuries had been when Kurt was admitted to the hospital changed his entire outlook on his accident. And truthfully, he didn't know which was worse…finding out that he'd been targeted or thinking that his attack was random. Ultimately, Kurt knew he really was being silly. He knew he was safe in Blaine's loft. Blaine had promised him he would speak to Robert about taking extra precautions with people entering the building and under no circumstances was anyone allowed anywhere near their front door.

Blaine did feel bad about leaving Kurt while he was still frightened. If he could reschedule his meetings, he would but these were not his cases and the firm was being really great about allowing him to assist while he still learned the ropes of prosecuting. Besides, if Blaine was going to take time off tomorrow to go to Kurt's doctor appointment, it was necessary he went into the office today. Blaine promised Kurt he would check in on him as often as he possibly could. He also told Kurt that if there was an emergency and absolutely needed him immediately, he should call Emily and Blaine would tell her to interrupt him. He kissed Kurt deeply on his way out and stopped to chat with Robert about keeping a close eye on their loft. Blaine knew that Robert obviously wasn't his personal security guard, but Robert was a nice guy and agreed to look out for Kurt's safety while Blaine was at work.

When Blaine arrived at the office, he told Emily that if Kurt called her, she should interrupt him immediately. Her eyebrows rose at the mention of Kurt living with Blaine but she said nothing – only promising that she would get Blaine if Kurt called. When Blaine walked into his office, he noticed his voicemail indicator blinking on his phone. He turned on his computer and checked his voicemail. It was Det. Walton asking for Blaine to return his call. Blaine dialed him back immediately. He was praying he would hear that Kayla Jones had been picked up. Blaine would do anything to put Kurt's mind at ease.

"Det. Walton? It's Blaine Anderson returning your call."

"Ah, yes Mr. Anderson. Thanks for calling back so soon…although my apologies for calling so early…which is why I called your office and not your cell phone."

"No, it's no problem. You can call me anytime. I'm assuming you have news?"

"Yes, I have good news and bad news, Mr. Anderson."

Blaine's heart sunk at the thought of any bad news. "What's the bad news?"

Det. Walton laughed. Typical lawyer – wanting the bad news first. "Well, it seems that Kayla Jones has disappeared. There have been no sightings of her and she has not used any of her credit cards. Her phone is turned off as well, preventing us from tracking her via GPS."

Blaine sighed. "How can someone disappear off the face of the earth like that? Do you think she left the state?"

"We're pretty sure she's not in New York City but I don't know about the state. We're having a warrant issued this morning so we can access her personal records from The House of Rosaline Spencer. Hopefully, we'll find out about her parents. If we can get to them, maybe we can get to her."

"And the good news?" Blaine asked.

"The blood on the bat found in Tony Watkins' closet? Tested positive for a match to Mr. Hummel's. Now we can officially hold him until the DA decides whether or not to proceed. Combined with Jace Lavine's confession and the evidence connecting Tony Watkins, both men are off the streets. Now it comes down to finding Kayla Jones."

Blaine knew that Kurt would feel better knowing that Tony Watkins was behind bars along with Jace Lavine but he also knew that he would never be completely comfortable knowing that Kayla was still out there somewhere. "What if you can't find Ms. Jones?"

"Well we can still move forward. Finding the bat was a huge victory. Even if we don't find Ms. Jones, we'll still press forward with Attempted Murder. You can still present to the DA and I'm sure they'll agree to move forward even if we haven't found the mastermind yet. But don't give up hope, Mr. Anderson. The warrant should be being presented as we speak for Ms. Jones' personal records. Let me do some digging and I'll get back with you as soon as I can."

Blaine thanked the detective and hung up. He sent a quick text to Kurt, checking in and then went off to his first meeting of the day.

* * *

Kurt lay in bed for another hour after Blaine had left. He received Blaine's text message about half an hour after he'd left checking in and replied that he was fine. He was still feeling a little uneasy but he knew he was safe in this building. At least, that's what he kept telling himself. He got up and hopped into the bathroom – knowing Blaine would kill him if he knew he was not using the wheelchair. He cleaned himself up and hopped back into the bedroom and got dressed. He smiled as he took a look around the room. This was Blaine's bedroom. All of his clothes were hanging in the closet and even though he'd left quite some time ago for work, the room still smelled like him. Kurt dutifully sat in his wheelchair and wheeled himself into the living room. He hated the wheelchair but he didn't want to do anything to purposely hurt Blaine and Kurt knew risking another medical emergency by hopping around was doing just that.

He made himself some breakfast and sat down on the couch in the living room. He opened his laptop and decided to start looking for a place for the two of them to live. He thought for a moment. Rent or buy? Rent or buy? Buying a place seemed so…adult. And if they bought a place together, then they'd own it…together. That thought scared him just a little. What would happen if they split? They'd both seen _The Break-up_ with Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn. It was not pretty. Kurt also knew that he and Blaine had not had an easy or pretty road. But why was he still looking for easy? Blaine had basically just said the other day that a love like theirs was worth fighting for. Wasn't that why he quoted _The Notebook_? Kurt then smiled. He realized that he no longer wanted to fight with himself about this. He knew what he wanted. And he wanted Blaine – forever. He knew their life together would have challenges and would not always be easy but loving him was easy. Loving Blaine was easy. It was the easiest thing he'd ever done. He clicked on the apartments listed for sale.

After a few hours, Kurt had a pretty comprehensive list of possible apartments he and Blaine could buy. Blaine had checked in several times during the day, making sure Kurt was comfortable and feeling safe. Kurt reminded himself that the next time Blaine called he needed to ask him about possible times he might be available to look at some of these apartments. He was starting to get excited. He had a couple of favorites but of course he and Blaine would have to agree.

Kurt realized that he hadn't eaten lunch so he began wheeling himself into the kitchen. All of a sudden he heard a commotion out in the lobby of the building. That was one negative aspect of living on the first floor – if people got loud, you could hear it. Kurt made a mental note to look back over his list of possible apartments and scratch any first floor units off of the list. He wheeled closer to the front door so he could hear what was going on.

"I know Kurt Hummel is staying here! Let me in dammit! Or at least let him know I'm here!"

Kurt could hear a woman's voice screaming. His heart began beating rapidly. Kayla had found him!

"Look miss, no one gets past me without an ID and/or approval from the tenants. I'm going to ask you one more time to leave before I force you out myself."

Kurt was thankful that Robert was doing his job. Thank God for small favors. Kurt was just about to call Emily at Blaine's office and have her interrupt him when he heard something that stopped him in his tracks.

"My name is Rachel Berry and I'll have you fired if you don't let me see him."

Rachel? Rachel was here? Oh thank God! It was Rachel, not Kayla. Kurt stretched up and unlocked the chain lock as well as the deadbolt and opened the front door of the loft.

"I don't care who you are. You're not getting past me. Now, I'll tell you only one more time…" Robert was saying.

"Robert…" Kurt interrupted. "It's ok. I know her. You can let her in."

"Oh thank God! Kurt…" Rachel exclaimed. "Damn, what is going on? You're under such tight security it's like you're the freaking President of the United States."

Robert looked between both Rachel and Kurt. "Are you sure Mr. Hummel? Do you need me to contact Mr. Anderson?"

Kurt smiled. "No. Thank you, Robert. Rachel here is a longtime friend. I really appreciate you keeping an eye out though. Thanks."

Robert nodded at them and Kurt ushered Rachel into the loft. He turned and looked at Rachel. "You could have called you know."

Rachel took a look around. "Jesus, Kurt. I didn't know I needed to call before visiting. When you texted me last night letting me know you'd be staying here, I thought that was an open invitation to visit." She took a look back at the front door and pointed. "Now, do you want to tell me what that's all about?"

Kurt sighed. "Sit down, Rachel. It's a long story."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed!! Next up: Rachel chats with both Kurt and Blaine; information about Kayla surfaces; Kurt goes back to the doctor and there might be some smut...
> 
> As per usual, I'll post again next weekend sometime. And thanks for all the kudos and the comments. They really make me smile. It's nice to know that people are reading and enjoying this story! :)


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How are we all feeling after the series finale? Me? I thought it was perfect send off for the show. And successful Klaine! And soon-to-be-daddies Klaine! I loved it! :)
> 
> Next installment here guys! We've got Rachel, developments with Kayla, Kurt's Dr appt, Burt reappears in the story, and...smut at the end! :) And it's a long one again. 
> 
> Mistakes are all mine.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Rachel listened intently as Kurt told her the entire story from his small getaway with Kevin, to his breakup with Kevin, to Blaine contacting him with video evidence of his attackers, to finding out it was not a random attack and finally to his reconciliation with Blaine. To say she was speechless was an understatement. She sat there staring at him for what seemed like hours.

Finally Kurt spoke up. "Rachel? What are you thinking? It's a lot to take in, I know."

Suddenly, she jumped up. "Oh my God, Kurt! You and Blaine are actually back together!"

Kurt looked at her, bewildered. "That's what you got from everything I just told you?"

She waved him away with her hand. "Oh come on, Kurt. Are you honestly going to look at me and say that that's not the most important part of the entire story?"

"Rachel, I just told you that someone tried to have me murdered because I got a job promotion that she didn't get."

"Kurt. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But you know who they are and they're going to jail. You're currently planning the rest of your life with Blaine."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Yes, I'm ecstatic that Blaine and I are back together but don't go rushing things. We're not engaged or anything."

Rachel sat back down next to him. "But you're buying a home together. That's a big deal, Kurt." She paused for a moment and looked at him. "I feel like we've really been out of touch since you got released from the hospital. I know my play has been taking up a lot of my time but that doesn't excuse the distance in our friendship. I mean, I had no idea that you and Kevin had split up."

Kurt chuckled. "Rachel, we split up two days ago. Still, with everything that's happened in the past two days, it feels like I've lived a lifetime."

Rachel really looked at him. "Are you sure about this, Kurt? I mean, you and Kevin just split up and now you're house hunting with Blaine. Are you really ready for this? Have you really forgiven him for what happened? Are you really ready to move on?"

Kurt sighed and thought for a minute. "Rachel, I've never been more sure of anything in my entire life. I feel like I was trying to convince myself that Blaine and I didn't belong together because things between us were always so hard and I just wanted easy. But I stopped fighting myself. Being with Blaine isn't hard. Are we going to have trials and conflict? Sure. But loving him is easy. And yes…I forgive him. Totally and completely. Being with Blaine feels like home."

Rachel smiled. "Well, I'm happy for you. Now, why don't you show me that list of apartments you found? You know you have to have the Rachel stamp of approval before you're allowed to buy anything!"

Kurt and Rachel sat and went through all of the apartments that Kurt had listed as possible purchases, all the while gossiping about all of the behind the scene diva antics that went on with Rachel's costars in her play. Rachel found it cute and endearing how often Blaine checked in on Kurt during the day. Kurt asked several times if he'd heard anything from Det. Walton. All Blaine would tell him is that they would talk about it when he got home.

Rachel had the day off – which was rare with her schedule – so she agreed to stay and keep Kurt company until Blaine got home. She had an ulterior motive as well…she wanted to have a little chat with Blaine. She trusted Kurt, but she wanted to make sure that Blaine was just as serious about this relationship as Kurt was. Rachel would not tolerate Kurt suffering another broken heart at the hands of Blaine. She witnessed it the first time and she would do everything in her power to ensure it didn't happen again.

Shortly after 5pm, Blaine came walking in the front door. Rachel noticed immediately how Kurt seemed to settle and have a peace come over him when Blaine came home. She could tell he really felt safe in Blaine's presence.

Blaine walked over to Kurt…"Hey baby" then gave him a kiss. After he turned to Rachel… "Hey, Rachel. It's good to see you. Thanks for spending the day with Kurt."

Rachel smiled. "It's good to see you too Blaine. And, it's no problem…Kurt and I were long overdue for some lady chat."

Kurt couldn't wait any longer. "Ok, enough with the pleasantries. You spoke with Det. Walton today. What did he say? And, before you ask, Rachel has been brought up to date with everything so there's no point in waiting until she leaves." Kurt noticed the change on Blaine's face. "The fact that you wouldn't tell me on the phone has me worried, Blaine."

"Well, the detective had good news and bad news. The good news is that the blood on the bat found in Tony Watkins' closet was a match to yours so he is currently in lock up." Blaine paused…letting that sink in. "And the bad news is that Kayla is nowhere to be found. Her cell phone is turned off and her credit cards haven't been used."

"What? How is that possible?" Kurt was shocked.

"Not all hope is lost, Kurt." Blaine said. "Det. Walton also said that they were issuing a warrant to access her personal files from Spencer's and hopefully they'll be able to contact her parents. He also said that whether or not they find her, we can still proceed with prosecuting Jace and Tony. With Jace's confession and the evidence against Tony, we're both confident that the DA will agree to move forward. I even went over everything with my boss this afternoon and he agrees. As soon as we get all of the information and recommendation from Det. Walton, he and I are going to sit down and get the package ready to present to the DA. We want to move on this as soon as possible."

Kurt didn't know what to say. "What? So we move forward and put Jace Lavine and Tony Watkins behind bars and Kayla gets away with it just because they can't find her? What kind of justice is that? I'll spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder."

Blaine took Kurt's hands in his. "Kurt, baby, I know this isn't the best news possible. But keep in mind, they got Watkins and they have no intention of stopping the search for Kayla. In fact, if we proceed with Lavine and Watkins, Kayla might think she's off the hook and she might think it's safe to resurface. Plus, convictions for Lavine and Watkins don't mean that we can't convict Kayla when she does turn up. And she will…eventually. Her home is here, Kurt. She'll show up…I promise." Blaine opened his arms and Kurt fell into them.

Rachel sat in silence and witnessed the exchange between the two. She could see it. She could see why Kurt was so in love. Blaine was good to him and took care of him. Their love for each other was easy – she understood. Still, she had to talk to Blaine, if only for her own conscious. "Kurt, trust your boyfriend, here. I would if I were in your shoes. And speaking of shoes, it's time for me to head home. Blaine? Will you walk me out?"

Rachel leaned down and kissed Kurt on the cheek and then followed Blaine out into the lobby of the building. Blaine turned and looked at her. "Ok, you want to give me the third degree don't you?"

Rachel looked him square in the eyes. "Look, Blaine. I can see the love between you two. It envelops the whole room. But I spent the entire afternoon with Kurt. This is it for him, Blaine. He is convinced that you two are going to spend the rest of your lives together. I need to know that you two are on the same page."

Blaine smiled. "This is it for me too, Rachel. I love that man more than anything else in this entire world."

"You said that once before, Blaine and you shattered his entire world. He can't go through that again."

Blaine frowned. "I know, Rachel. I fucked up royally. But I know what that cost me. It cost me the love of my life and now that I have him back, I'm not letting him go again…ever. We're not kids anymore. We're adults. And me? I'm not under my father's thumb anymore. Nothing will ever pull me away from Kurt ever again. I'm going spend the rest of my life loving him. I'm going to marry that man and we're going to have kids together and grow old together. That is a promise I can make to Kurt. It's also a promise I can make to you Rachel. It's a promise I'm going to keep."

Rachel leaned in and hugged Blaine. "That's good to hear. I believe you Blaine. But – Don't. Fuck. Up." She emphasized each word with a finger to his chest. "Now, Kurt's seen my play but you haven't. Why don't the two of you come for a date night or something? I'll get you front row seats. I mean, I know it's not technically Broadway but still, you'll be able to say you saw me preform on the small stage before I made it big!" She laughed.

He laughed back. "Rachel, I saw you perform in high school. I think I can say I knew you when!"

"Yeah, yeah. Just take care of my boy ok?" Rachel winked at him and turned to leave.

Kurt saw Blaine walk back inside with a smile on his face. "She gave you the third degree, didn't she?"

Blaine sat down next to Kurt. "She did. But she loves you and she just wants to make sure that I deserve you, that's all. It's sweet of her."

Kurt smiled. "Yeah, I guess. But I already told her that we deserve each other. Now, kiss me and then I can show you the apartments I thought we could look at."

"Mmmm…how about I just kiss you?"

Kurt laughed. "Blaine!"

* * *

Kurt woke up Thursday morning feeling hopeful. He had is doctor's appointment this morning and he was hoping he'd be able to get rid of at least one of his casts. He was also hoping his ribs have healed. He'd been extra careful since he'd re-injured them and Blaine had become a pro at wrapping them daily. If he was being honest with himself, he was horny as hell and wanted nothing more than to make love with Blaine. Sure, their blowjobs were wonderful but he had finally been reunited with the love of his life and he wanted more. He needed more.

Blaine woke up Thursday feeling hopeful as well. He was hoping that Kurt got a good report from his doctor but he was also hoping he'd hear something positive about Kayla Jones. Blaine hadn't heard back from Det. Walton yesterday so he wasn't sure if the warrant they presented at Spencer's turned up anything. He knew Kurt was pretty stressed about the whole thing so Blaine didn't want to bring it up, but if he hadn't heard anything from the detective by midafternoon, Blaine would sneak away and call him.

They'd only been living together for three days but they had already developed a perfect routine. In no time at all, they were heading out to grab a taxi and they were off to the hospital. They stopped at the doctor's request to have x-rays done first, then they would head to the doctor's office where the x-rays would be sent up for review. The x-rays were taken quickly. Next up was Dr. Richardson's office. When they got there, Kurt checked himself in with the doctor's receptionist and they sat in the waiting room. Twenty minutes later, Kurt's name was called.

When Blaine stood up Kurt turned and looked at him. "Do you mind if I go in alone?"

Blaine looked surprised. "Uh, no…I guess not. Are you sure?"

Kurt nodded and wheeled himself over to the nurse that had just called for him. Blaine thought that was a little odd but he figured he'd use this time to call the detective. He wasn't planning on calling him until this afternoon but when opportunity presents itself…

"Good morning Det. Walton. It's Blaine Anderson calling."

"Oh, good morning Mr. Anderson. I'm glad you called. Your office told me you weren't planning on coming in today. I hope everything is ok."

"Yeah, Kurt just had a follow-up with the doctor today so we're at the hospital. But he's in with the doctor now so I thought I'd do a follow-up with you. Did you find anything out from Kayla's personal records?" Blaine was silently praying for good news.

"We did, in fact. Turns out her parents live in a little town just outside of Chattanooga, Tennessee. And, even better news? Kayla Jones was there. Her parents had no idea what was going on with her here in New York. They thought she was just home visiting. Long story short? The local police are picking her up and she's being brought back here. "

Blaine practically started jumping up and down in the waiting room. "Oh, thank God! Kurt is going to be so relieved."

"Here's the deal, Mr. Anderson. Kayla Jones is due back here in a few hours. I'm going to interrogate her and get her story. I'm pushing to have my end of this thing wrapped up by the end of the day. If all goes as planned, you should have everything from me on your desk first thing tomorrow morning. Let me know if you have any questions."

"Thank you, detective. I look forward to receiving it. I'll let you know if I have any questions." They exchanged goodbyes and Blaine sat in the waiting room, hoping that Kurt was receiving a report from his doctor just as good as he had from the detective.

* * *

The nurse wheeled Kurt into an exam room and told him the doctor would be in in a moment. Kurt made himself comfortable. He had a good feeling about this appointment. Actually, he had a good feeling about the entire day. They had been able to reach the real estate agent that Blaine's law firm had on standby and since Blaine had managed to take the entire day off from work, they set up some afternoon appointments to see some of the apartments for sale. Hopefully, they'd find one they really liked today. Kurt knew Blaine was ready to get out of the loft and Blaine was right on another point – his apartment was way too small for the both of them. Besides, Kurt didn't want to go back to his apartment. He wanted to start his life with Blaine.

After waiting for about 5 minutes, Dr. Richardson entered the exam room. He had a smile on his face. That made Kurt smile back.

"Mr. Hummel, how are you doing today?"

"Well, doc, I'd be doing a lot better if you told me I could get rid of some of these casts. Maybe while you're at it, you can tell me my ribs are healed…" Kurt was hopeful.

Dr. Richardson laughed. "Well then I have good news for you, Kurt. Your ribs are healed. It seems that you have been taking really good care of them since your recent fall. Also, we can remove the cast from you ankle today. I'm afraid the cast on your arm is going to have to stay put. That was a pretty severe break and it's not healed yet."

Kurt was ok with that. "What about the cast on my leg? I've got to be able to walk, Dr. Richardson. This wheelchair is killing me."

Dr. Richardson looked over the x-rays again. "Well, the leg cast can't come off just yet. But it seems like it doesn't need a full cast. I can't let the leg go without any support though, so we'll set you up with a walking boot. You can take the boot off when you sleep and when you shower. Just remember when you shower to wrap your arm up in plastic. You don't want to get your arm cast wet."

Kurt was bouncing with excitement. "You mean I can shower? I can ditch this stupid wheelchair? I can have sex?" That last question slipped out before Kurt had fully prepared it. Yes, he wanted to ask if he could have sex with Blaine but he'd meant to be a bit classier when he asked.

Dr. Richardson laughed. "Yes, Kurt. You can shower, you can ditch the wheelchair and yes, you can have sex. Just be careful. Your body is still recovering as a whole. Don't do anything too strenuous to injure yourself again." Dr. Richardson pushed a button by the door, indicating he was ready for the nurse to come back in. "Anita will be coming in to take you over to the cast area. They'll take the ankle cast off and set you up with a walking boot. Are you here by yourself or is someone waiting on you?"

"My boyfriend is in the waiting room."

Dr. Richardson nodded. "I'll have Anita go get him then. You won't be heading back out that way so he'll need to tag along." Just then Anita walked into the room. Dr. Richardson gave her instructions and she left to go get Blaine from the waiting room. Dr. Richardson stood up and shook Kurt's hand. "Feel free to call the office if you have any questions. They'll set you up with a follow-up to check on your leg and arm."

With that, Dr. Richardson left the room. Kurt was so happy he could barely contain himself. Anita returned a minute later with Blaine. Kurt noticed he had a rather big smile on his face as well. He wondered what that was all about. Maybe Anita had informed Blaine of what the doctor had said. Anita then told Kurt that he had one more wheelchair ride to endure as she wheeled him down to the cast area with Blaine following behind. Once there, Kurt hopped up on one of the beds and Anita told him she'd be back with one of the technicians to remove the cast.

As soon as Anita was out of ear shot, Blaine looked over at Kurt. "You're getting your casts taken off? That's great, Kurt!"

Ok, maybe Blaine didn't know what Dr. Richardson had said. "Uh, well I'm getting the ankle cast off. The arm cast has to stay but I'm getting a walking boot on my leg…Oh, and my ribs are totally healed!"

Blaine smiled. "Oh, that's great news, Kurt! That means you can walk now, right?"

"Yep, no more wheelchair. Oh, and another thing…" Kurt lowered his voice to a whisper. "I am cleared to have sex too!"

Blaine's face turned bright red. "Kurt, you did not ask the doctor that did you?" Blaine wasn't totally surprised that Kurt had asked, but still…

Kurt returned Blaine's blush. "I did, but it kind of just slipped out. I'm glad it did though because I got confirmation from him." Kurt wiggled his eyebrows. "Guess what we're doing tonight!" Blaine just laughed. Kurt spoke up again. "Oh and before I forget, what had you smiling so big when you came back into the exam room with Anita?"

Blaine thought back to his conversation with Det. Walton. "Oh, you know, I'll tell you about it later. We've got casts to take off and apartments to look at. And if the day continues like I think it will, we'll have a lot to celebrate tonight."

* * *

The rest of their afternoon was pure bliss. Kurt's ankle cast was removed and he was fitted with a walking boot. It was more comfortable than he thought it would be and he was extremely happy to be walking. After they left the hospital, they went and grabbed some lunch before meeting with the real estate agent. They ended up falling in love with two different places. The real estate agent suggested putting in a bid on both places, which they ultimately decided to do because honestly, they'd be happy with either place.

Once they were finished with their obligations for the day, they decided to take a walk in Central Park. Kurt was the one who suggested it – he was just loving the freedom of actually being able to walk. They reveled in the feeling of holding hands while taking a leisurely stroll through the park. After walking around for about 30 minutes, Kurt's ankle did start to get sore from the pressure of being on it again after being off of it for so long. They decided to sit on a bench and watch the other people as they walked by.

Kurt turned and looked at Blaine. All he could do was just smile. For the first time in a long time, Kurt was truly happy. His career was on a huge upswing and he finally had the love of his life back. After trying to deny his feelings for so long, he and Blaine were finally in the same place at the same time emotionally. He felt like he was in heaven.

Blaine could feel Kurt staring at him. At first, he just let him stare. He liked the feeling of being the object of Kurt's affections. Blaine felt like he'd waited for so long for Kurt to feel the same way for him that Blaine felt for Kurt. Finally, he couldn't hold back anymore. He turned and faced Kurt, leaned in for a small kiss and then asked "What are you thinking about?"

Kurt smiled. "Just how much I love you."

"Aw, I love you too, baby." Hearing Kurt say he loved him warmed Blaine's heart.

"Well, that's not all…I was also wondering when you were going to tell me what had you so smiley at the hospital this morning."

"I could tell you now if you'd like." Blaine took Kurt's silence as indication to continue. "I had a chat with Det. Walton while you were in with the doctor this morning. They found Kayla, Kurt. They found her at her parent's house in Tennessee. She was on her way back when I spoke with Det. Walton this morning. As a matter of fact, she's most likely being interrogated at this very minute."

Kurt was quiet for a minute. "Really? So, it's over then? This is finally over?"

Blaine smiled. "Well there is the formality of presenting to the DA but both Det. Walton and my boss seem to think that it's a no-brainer and the DA will agree to proceed. So yes, it's over, baby."

"Oh my God! I can't…I don't…Ahh!" Kurt was speechless and launched himself at Blaine, throwing his arms around his neck and kissing him deeply. Kurt pulled back after a minute of kissing. "Seriously, Blaine. If it weren't for you, I would have no idea who did this to me or why. They certainly wouldn't be facing jail time. I don't know how to thank you enough for everything you've done."

"Kurt, what you said earlier? That you love me? That is all the thanks I'll ever need. I promised you that I'd fight for you. That fight has taken different directions recently. But in the end I got both of the things I wanted – your piece of mind and your love. I couldn't ask for anything more."

Kurt smiled. "You know what? I don't want to be out here anymore. I just want to go home and spend the rest of the day with you…just the two of us."

"Well, my loft isn't exactly home, but until we find out which one of those apartments we'll end up buying, your idea sounds absolutely perfect."

"You're wrong, Blaine. My home is wherever you are."

* * *

Three hours later, Kurt and Blaine were tangled up in each other on the sofa sound asleep. They had decided to watch a movie when they got back to the loft, but the excitement of the day got to them and it wasn't long before sleep overtook them. Kurt woke up first and just lay peacefully next to Blaine, enjoying the feeling of being so close to the one he loved. He could hear Blaine's heart beating. It was the best sound in the world. Suddenly a thought occurred to him. He hadn't called his Dad at all this week! The last thing Burt knew, Kurt was still dating Kevin and everyone thought Kurt's attack was a random hate crime. Boy, a lot had changed in four days. Now, Kurt knew he was targeted for his job promotion, his attackers were facing jail, and he was no longer with Kevin, but reunited with Blaine and they had just made an offer on two different apartments for purchase. Yeah, there was a lot of information that Burt needed to be filled in on.

Slowly, so as to not wake Blaine, Kurt untangled himself and walked into the bedroom to call his Dad. Burt answered on the third ring. "Hey, Dad."

"Hey kiddo. How's it going? I was going to call you yesterday but there was a problem in the shop and I had to handle it. You know Finn – great at fixing cars but not the best at dealing with angry customers." Burt laughed. "Anyway, time got away from me. So, how are the injuries?"

Kurt smiled at the image of Finn trying to deal with an angry customer. "It's ok, Dad. Actually, things have been insanely busy for me."

"Ah, that boss of yours keeping you busy huh?"

"No, actually. I'm on leave from work right now, Dad."

Burt was confused. "On leave from work? What happened? Did you hurt yourself again?"

Kurt laughed. Actually, he had hurt himself again. His fall and consequent re-injury of his ribs is what put him back on his path to reuniting with Blaine again. "Well, yeah, Dad. I did. But's that not all. Ok, I have a lot to say so let me just get it all out before interrupting. Ok?"

Now Burt was intrigued. "Ok, sure, kid."

"I fell again late last week. Blaine was the only one I could get ahold of to take me to the hospital because Kevin was in surgery and Rachel was rehearsing. My ribs were bruised due to the fall. But that's not the point. Kevin was jealous that Blaine was the one to take me to hospital and he felt like we needed some time alone because according to Kevin, I could never really be in a real relationship with him as long as Blaine was in the picture…"

"Wait, Kurt." Burt interrupted. "Are you telling me that Kevin forbid you from being even friends with Blaine?" Kevin was not Burt's favorite person.

Kurt sighed. "No, Dad, he didn't say that. He just wanted some alone time with me. So I agreed to go away to his parent's cabin up north. We left on Sunday. Well, Monday morning we got into a huge argument. I don't even really remember what it was about. I think he made a comment about me drawing for a living and then Blaine had called and he hid it from me."

"He said you draw for a living? Kurt, I know I told you I would support your choices but remind me again why you're with this guy? He insults your career and says he doesn't like Blaine in your life. Then he hides the fact that he called you? Seriously, Kurt."

"Dad, I know. Just listen. When I called Blaine back it turned out that he had found video evidence of the people that attacked me. When I told Kevin we needed to come back into the city so I could go see the evidence that Blaine had found – well let's just say that Kevin was not pleased…"

Burt interrupted again. "Did that guy hurt you? I swear Kurt; I'll bring my shotgun up there. I don't care if he is your boyfriend."

Kurt couldn't help but notice that his dad practically had the same reaction Blaine had when Kurt had told him about it. "No, Dad. He didn't hurt me. And, he's not my boyfriend anymore. We broke up."

"Oh." Burt's tone had softened. "I'm sorry, Kurt."

This caused Kurt to laugh out loud. "Thank you for saying that, Dad, but I know you are not sorry in the least." Kurt's laugher caused Blaine to wake up and wander into the bedroom. Kurt indicated that he was talking to his dad, also indicating that Blaine could stay if he wanted.

Burt laughed back. "Well no, I'm not sorry. I never liked that guy."

Even though Burt couldn't see, Kurt rolled his eyes. "You and Blaine are in the same boat there. Anyway, the short version is that I saw the video Blaine had and I knew one of the attackers. It's the boyfriend of one of the girls I worked with. Turns out she was jealous I got the promotion at work and she coerced her boyfriend and a friend of his to take me out."

"What? Oh my God, son."

"I know, I know. Anyway, they are in jail now waiting being formally charged with attempted murder. And, I had a doctor's appointment this morning and my ribs are healed, I lost the ankle cast and I'm in a walking boot so I lost the wheelchair too. " Kurt had smile on his face.

Burt was smiling. "That's great, kiddo. I'm happy that you're getting better. And, what about Blaine? He came through for you didn't he?"

Kurt reached over and grabbed Blaine's hand. "Dad, Blaine came through for me in more ways than one. I know that you've been subtly trying to push me towards him ever since you hired him to represent you in your fight for the shop. I was stubborn and I didn't see what you saw. But I see it now, Dad. I see his love for me. And I realized that I love him too. I never stopped loving him, Dad. So before you ask, yes, we are back together now."

Burt had tears in his eyes. "Oh, I'm so happy for you both. Really – you two belong together."

Kurt smiled. "I know we do. I don't plan on ever letting him go. And I know it might seem like we're moving things really quickly here but truthfully, we've been apart for so long that we don't want to spend another minute alone…so that's why not only have we decided to move in together, but we're buying an apartment together."

Burt was speechless for a minute. "Wow, that's a lot of stuff that went down in the matter of just a few days."

Blaine's phone began ringing in the other room so he left to answer it. Kurt laughed at his Dad's response. "So you don't think we're moving too quickly by buying an apartment? We're buying, not renting. You did hear that part, right?"

"Yes, I heard you, Kurt. And I totally support you. I love Blaine – he's a part of this family too."

Kurt was happy that his Dad was standing behind him in his decision to move forward in beginning his life with Blaine. They continued to talk for a while more – catching up on all of the other happenings in each other's lives. At some point, Blaine had walked back into the bedroom with a smile on his face. After exchanging 'I love yous' with his Dad, Kurt hung up. Blaine told him that his phone call was from Det. Walton. Kayla Jones had been interrogated and after some intense questioning on behalf of Det. Walton, she had eventually confessed. Now all three of the people behind Kurt's attack were behind bars with as much of a guarantee as possible that they would be charged and prosecuted with attempted murder.

Kurt smiled at Blaine. "I think this is the best day of my life. There's only one thing that would make it better."

"And what would that be?"

Kurt leaned in and kissed Blaine with as much passion as he could render. The intent of what Kurt wanted was clear.

Blaine pulled back and laughed. "Aren't you hungry? Don't you want some dinner first?"

Kurt slowly shook his head – his eyes filled with lust. "Not hungry for food…only hungry for you."

That was all Blaine needed to hear before closing the small gap between them and meeting their lips together. Their kiss started off slow and passionate, tongues lightly dancing together before becoming more and more needy. Both of them needed this. This would be the first time they'd made love since getting back together officially. They wanted to take as much time as possible with this. There was no reason to rush. They had all the time in the world.

Thankfully, they were already in the bedroom so there was no need to move. Blaine reached down and began unbuttoning Kurt's shirt one button at a time, his lips never leaving Kurt's. Once his shirt was unbuttoned, he slid the shirt off of Kurt's shoulders. Blaine's lips left Kurt's and he began kissing along his jawline – heading over to his ear. Blaine knew how much Kurt liked his earlobe nibbled on so he did just that. Kurt let out a moan that went straight to Blaine's already hard cock.

While Blaine was nibbling on Kurt's ear, Kurt began tugging on the shirt Blaine was wearing. Blaine pulled away long enough to allow his shirt to be pulled over his head. Kurt took advantage and began kissing down Blaine's torso, stopping to lick and suck on each of Blaine's nipples.

"Oh fuck, Kurt. That feels so good. You have no idea." Blaine's cock was lined up with Kurt's torso and he began bucking up, desperate for friction.

Kurt took that as a sign and began kissing down Blaine's chest, finally reaching the waistband of his jeans. Kurt smiled. He would have to remember to tell Blaine later that these particular pair of jeans made Blaine look sexy as hell. Now however, Kurt was more concerned about how Blaine looked without them. He popped open the button on the jeans and slowly unzipped them. Blaine made things easier by lifting up his hips so Kurt could slide his jeans down. Kurt slowly pulled the jeans off of Blaine's legs – increasing Blaine's torture.

Kurt kissed up and down Blaine's legs finally reaching the place Blaine was silently begging for. His erection was big and hard and there was already a wet spot on his boxers from the pre-come. Kurt mouthed up Blaine's erection. He placed his fingers under the waistband of Blaine's boxers and softly tugged them down, causing Blaine's erection to spring free. "Oh God – how I love the feel of you in my mouth, Blaine." Kurt slowly sunk his mouth around Blaine.

"Oh sweet holy Lord, baby. You are amazing. Fuck." Blaine cherished the feeling of Kurt around him. He would let Kurt take him to the brink before having him pull off and switch places.

Kurt was moaning as he went up and down Blaine's cock. He and Blaine were on the same wave length because he had all intentions of taking Blaine almost to his tipping point. He was so thankful that they didn't have to settle for blowjobs tonight.

"Oh, oh, oh, Kurt. Shit, baby! Fuck! If you don't stop now, I'm going come. The moaning around me – too much! Shit!"

Kurt smiled before pulling off. He had enough time to wipe his mouth before Blaine gently pulled Kurt up higher on the bed and laid him on his back so Blaine could straddle Kurt.

Blaine slid his hands under the bottom of Kurt's undershirt and up his chest – taking the shirt with him. He slipped it over Kurt's head and just stared at Kurt's body for a moment. There were only slight traces of the bruises from his attack. Most of Kurt's porcelain skin was intact. "Oh baby, you are so beautiful." Blaine then leaned over and began lightly kissing Kurt's chest. He made his way up to Kurt's jaw and ear once more. He then realized he was practically lying on top of Kurt. He pulled away and looked Kurt in the eyes. "Baby, am I hurting you?"

Kurt stretched his head up and kissed Blaine gently. "No, sweetheart. Your body weight on mine feels perfect. You feel perfect. Don't stop. Don't ever stop loving me."

Blaine smiled. "I'll never stop loving you. I promise." Blaine began kissing down Kurt's chest. He didn't have quite the patience that Kurt had. He quickly made his way down to the waistband of Kurt's jeans and swiftly unbuttoned them and pulling the jeans and boxers off in one quick motion.

Kurt laughed as he placed his hands in Blaine's hair – pulling his curls free. "Damn, Blaine! Are you in a hurry or…OH SHIT!" Kurt couldn't even finish his statement because Blaine had deep throated him without warning. Kurt began thrashing his head around on the bed. Blaine felt absolutely amazing on Kurt but he needed more. Somehow he gathered the willpower to reach in Blaine's nightstand and grab some lube and a condom. He tossed them softly to Blaine – who was still doing magical things with his mouth. "More, Blaine. More."

Blaine pulled off long enough to coat his fingers with lube and warm them up in between his hands. He then slowly sunk his mouth around Kurt's cock once more while at the same time pushing one finger inside Kurt's entrance. Kurt was so tight around Blaine's one finger he knew that once he got his cock inside of him it was going to be heaven.

Kurt felt like he was near death with all of the feelings he was dealing with. He still needed more. He began fucking himself on Blaine's finger. It was not enough. "Faster, Blaine. I need you and I need you now."

Blaine pulled off of Kurt's dick and shushed Kurt. "Baby, I need to prepare you. It's been awhile since either of us have had sex, we need to take this slowly."

Kurt leaned up on his elbows and looked Blaine square in the eyes. "Blaine, if you don't hurry the fuck up, I'm going to finger myself open. And I promise you that I can prep myself faster."

Blaine just stared at Kurt. He thought that might have been the sexiest thing he'd ever heard. Hell, watching Kurt finger himself open might be the sexiest thing he'd ever see. But, no. Blaine wanted to do this himself. "Ok, baby. I'll go as fast as I can."

Kurt lay back down. "Ok, but I mean it. Hurry the fuck up. I need your dick inside of me. I've been waiting for you for too long."

Blaine opted to stop overwhelming Kurt's senses by doubling up on the blowjob and fingering at the same time and focus only on stretching Kurt open. Kurt was in a hurry but Blaine knew one way to make this stretching worth it. He inserted two fingers and crooked them up slightly. Then he found it.

"OH FUCK! HOLY SHIT BLAINE! YES! RIGHT THERE!"

Blaine smiled and began working him open faster. Finally, he had Kurt sufficiently stretched and pulled back to put the condom on. As he was ripping the package open, he felt Kurt's hand on his wrist. He looked up at him.

"Are you clean?"

Blaine looked confused. "Uh, what?"

Kurt smiled. "I said, are you clean?"

"Yes, I got tested after Trevor and I broke up. Why?"

"I got tested while I was in the hospital after my accident. I'm clean too. No condom, please."

Blaine set the condom on the bed. "Are you sure, Kurt?"

"Blaine, I love you and we are here – together – for the first time since getting back together. I don't want anything to ever separate us ever again. I want it to be just you and me…nothing between us. Not even a thin piece of latex."

Blaine was overwhelmed with love for this man. "I love you too, baby. Ok, no condom."

Kurt paused for a quick second. "One more thing…can we do this missionary? I want to look you in your eyes and kiss you while feeling you inside of me."

Blaine smiled. "I would love nothing more than to look you in the eyes and kiss you while I make love to you. You are my heart and soul, Kurt. I love you more than anything in my life. You are my home." He then leaned down, lined himself up with Kurt's entrance and slowly pushed inside – allowing Kurt to get used to the sensation.

"Holy Fuck, baby! You are so fucking tight!" The sensation of being inside of Kurt was almost too much for Blaine to bear. He was thankful that Kurt needed a minute to get used to Blaine being inside of him. "Are you ok?"

Kurt nodded. "Kiss me."

Blaine leaned over and kissed Kurt passionately. At that moment, Kurt began shifting his hips – giving Blaine the sign that it was ok to begin moving. So he did. He began thrusting deeper and deeper into Kurt. Before long they found a rhythm that worked for both of them.

"Oh God, Blaine, shit. Yes! Right there! Don't stop!" Kurt was loving this intimate moment they were sharing. Blaine was thrusting harder and deeper – hitting the perfect spot within Kurt every time. He was beginning to feel that familiar coil deep within his belly indicating that his orgasm was close. Kurt was so in tune with Blaine's body that he could also tell from Blaine's movements and moans that he wasn't far off either.

Kurt gently reached his hand up and caressed the side of Blaine's face. Blaine pulled his head from where it was resting against Kurt's shoulder and looked at Kurt – his eyes full of love and adoration while slowing down his thrusts. "Blaine? Would you mind stopping for a second?"

Blaine stopped immediately. He didn't pull out but he did as Kurt had asked. "What's wrong? Are you ok? Am I hurting you?"

Kurt leaned up and placed an innocent kiss on Blaine's lips. "I am fine. I'm perfect, actually. I want us to come together but before we do, I just need a moment to savor this." Kurt paused and looked at Blaine. "You are the love of my life, Blaine. And I want you to know that this is it for me. No more looking or searching. I've found my soul mate. My home. You. I will never leave you." Kurt noticed tears in Blaine's eyes. He reached up and brushed them away with his finger. Then he chuckled. "I could have found another time to tell you this but, in this moment, we are as close as two people can possibly be and I wanted you to know exactly how I feel. I love you. You and only you – now and forever."

Blaine couldn't control his emotions so he didn't bother to try. Despite Kurt wiping away his tears, they kept coming. Finally he managed to speak. "Oh, baby. I love you too…so much. You are the love of my life too, Kurt. And I'm glad this is it for you because this is it for me too. I will never leave you, and I will never lie to you. I'm also glad you chose this moment to share this with me because I can't imagine a better time for you to tell me exactly how you feel."

Blaine leaned down and kissed Kurt. On instinct they began moving again. This time it was slow and gentle. They had both been so close to orgasm before Kurt spoke but now they felt the need to slow down and relish this moment. That is exactly what they did. Their eyes never left each other's and when they came together, instead of shouts of ecstasy, they both said "I love you" at the same time.

They snuggled into each other, still wrapped up in each other's arms. It wasn't long before Blaine heard Kurt's breathing even out – indicating that he had fallen asleep. "Kurt?" He paused, then "Baby?" When he heard nothing in response he leaned in and kissed the top of Kurt's head. He sighed to himself and then chuckled lightly. As he thought about the discussion they'd just had, Blaine smiled because it seemed like the perfect ingredients for a marriage proposal. Everything was there except for the actual question. Blaine smiled again. _No,_ he thought to himself. _It's too early to ask him to marry me._ Blaine kissed the top of Kurt's head again. _But soon, my love. Soon._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: Blaine gets to work on finalizing his part of Kurt's case, Kurt has a chat with Rosaline Spencer, and they find out where they'll be living. Also, the end has some sweet Klaine.
> 
> I'll see you again next weekend! :)


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Saturday! How is everyone doing now that Glee is over and done with? This first Friday without it was weird. Anyway! Here's the next update. Another long one for you. We're getting closer to the end. And just as a reminder, I know that a lot of the legal aspects in my fic aren't how they work in the real world, but it's how they work in my fictional world. So thanks for going along with it.
> 
> Mistakes are all mine.

When Kurt woke early the next morning, he found Blaine lying next to him, just staring at him. Kurt smiled. "What are you looking at?"

Blaine smiled back. "I'm looking at you. I was just watching you sleep. I hope that doesn't make me sound creepy but you are stunning and I can't believe you're actually here with me and we're actually together. I keep thinking I'm going to wake up and realize all of this was just a dream."

"This is not a dream, Blaine. I love you and you love me. That is about as real as it can get." Blaine smiled at Kurt and leaned down to kiss him. Kurt pulled his head back before Blaine could reach him. "Morning breath, Blaine. No kissing until we both brush our teeth."

Blaine laughed. "Some things never change." Blaine moved to get out of bed but Kurt pulled him back down. Blaine laughed again. "Baby, you just said I couldn't kiss you until I brushed my teeth…"

"To hell with what I just said. Kiss me now!" Kurt barely got the words out before Blaine leaned down and kissed Kurt with as much passion as he could muster. After a few moments of kissing, Kurt pulled back. "Hmmm, now that's the perfect way to start the morning."

"I totally agree. Unfortunately though, I do have to get out of bed. Today's going to be a big day at work…"

Kurt groaned. "No…no work today."

Blaine laughed. "Kurt, you know I have to go into work today. Det. Walton's recommendation should be waiting for me when I get in and then Mr. Rhoades and I are preparing the package for the DA. We wanna get this ball rolling."

Kurt gave Blaine a playful shove. "Well by all means then – get your ass to work!"

Blaine got up and headed towards the bathroom. He turned back around. "What's on your agenda for the day?"

"Well I know Ms. Spencer gave me a leave of absence but now that I'm walking again, I thought I might head into the office. If everything regarding my case seems like a formality – like you said – I might as well start working again."

"I think that sounds like a good idea. Just don't push yourself…you've still got that broken arm and fractured leg." Blaine paused for a moment. "Speaking of that broken arm…might you need a little help showering this fine morning?"

Kurt smiled. "Well Mr. Anderson, I would be very grateful for your assistance."

* * *

Blaine kissed Kurt goodbye as they exited their building and headed towards his office. Once he arrived Emily was smiling at him.

"Good morning, Em. How are you on this fine Friday?"

"Well, I'm doing well but apparently not as well as you are." She reached down on her desk and gave Blaine his messages.

Blaine glanced down at the messages. Most were people returning his calls from a few of the cases he was assisting on. Another was from Landry. This made Blaine chuckle. They worked in the same office, yet Landry always insisted on leaving messages for the other attorneys with Emily. What Blaine did not see though was any paperwork from Det. Walton. He frowned. "Emily? Is there anything else for me?"

She looked down on her desk again. "No, I don't see anything…Oh! Mr. Rhoades asked me to tell you to stop by his office when you got in this morning."

Blaine sighed. Where was that information from Det. Walton? "Ok, thanks Emily."

Blaine walked towards his office. He figured he might as well turn his computer on and check his email really quickly before going to Mr. Rhoades' office. Five minutes later, not having any emails from Det. Walton, he walked over to Mr. Rhoades' office. He knocked on the closed door and entered after hearing permission.

"Good morning, Mr. Rhoades. Emily said you wanted to see me?"

Noah Rhoades smiled. "Noah, Blaine. Please call me Noah. And yes, I did wish to see you. I hope I didn't overstep but when I came in this morning I saw a package had been left for you. It was from the NYPD so I made the assumption that it was the information you've been waiting on regarding Mr. Hummel's case."

Blaine nodded. "Yes, I was expecting that today."

"Well, I opened it and read through it." Noah Rhoades slowly shook his head. "My, Mr. Hummel sure was put though the ringer by those guys. When was the last time you saw him? How is he feeling? He is going to make a full recovery, right?"

Blaine thought for a moment. He knew it was unprofessional for an attorney to be personally involved with a client. But, as he'd stated before to Det. Walton, he didn't technically get involved with Kurt romantically until after he was representing him. He decided to be honest with Noah though. It was better than being caught in a lie later if he and Kurt slipped up as things progressed with the case. "Well honestly, Mr….Noah, Kurt Hummel and I are involved on a personal level. We knew each other in high school but when I took on this case he was involved with someone else. Working together on this brought us closer together. So to answer your question honestly, I saw him this morning when I left for work. He is feeling much better – only dealing with a broken arm and fractured leg at this point. And, yes, he will make a full recovery."

Noah smiled. "I knew that, Blaine. Please don't view that as a test but I am glad you were honest with me." Noah took in Blaine's confused face. "You're staying at the company loft. As the president of this law firm, it's my business to know who's coming and going. And before you apologize, it is perfectly fine for you to have guests while staying there. And after reading what those guys put him through, I'm not surprised Mr. Hummel did not want to be alone."

Relief washed over Blaine. "Thank you. And just so you're informed. We've put a bid on two different apartments in the city. We should be hearing something back soon. As soon as we do, we'll be moving out of the loft."

"Well, I guess you and Mr. Hummel are quite involved then aren't you?"

Blaine blushed. "I know it might seem quick, but when you come close to losing someone, you realize what's important in life. We just didn't want to waste any more time apart."

Noah patted Blaine on the back. "I completely understand, son. Now how about we get to work on preparing a package for the DA? Unless you had something more important to work on today?"

"Oh no! This is my top priority." Blaine sat down across from Noah's work table in his office. "I really do appreciate you helping me on this."

"It's like I told you before, Blaine. I had a gut instinct when I hired you. I consider it my job to show you everything you need to know to be successful in this line of law. And it all starts with learning how to prepare an ironclad package for the DA. I've been at this for over 20 years and do you know how many packages I've had declined by the different DA's over the years?"

Blaine shook his head.

"Eleven." Noah kind of laughed at this. "Eleven over 20 years. Now, I'm not one to brag but I'd say that's a pretty astounding success rate."

Noah began pulling out all of the information Det. Walton had sent over and he spread it out on the work table. Most of the information laid out were the transcripts of the interrogations of Jace Lavine, Tony Watkins and Kayla Jones. There were DVD's as well since all interrogations are filmed. Blaine looked at the information laid out before him. He did not see what he was looking for.

Noah watched Blaine sort through the paperwork lying on the table. "What's wrong, Blaine?" Noah already knew the answer to his question.

Blaine looked up at Noah. "Uh, nothing. All of this looks really comprehensive. It's just…well it's just that I thought there would be specific information regarding the actual attack."

Noah sighed. "There is Blaine but as your boss and due to your personal relationship with Mr. Hummel, I'm telling you that you don't want to see it."

"Noah, I appreciate you trying to keep me from the brutal details, but I need to see it."

"Ok, Blaine. I'll tell you what. The hospital sent over some pictures that were taken directly after Mr. Hummel was admitted. That's pretty standard procedure after an attack. I'll show you one or two of them instead."

Blaine shook his head. "Noah, I'm not sure if you knew this but I was visiting Kurt in the hospital the day after he was admitted. I've seen the swollen, bruised face. I've seen his eye swollen shut. I've seen the matted hair from his head injury. I've seen the broken ribs, the broken arm, leg and ankle. I've seen it all. Now, what I need to see is how he got that way."

"Ok, fine. But, don't say I didn't warn you. It's pretty graphic." Noah then handed Blaine the document with the step by step details of exactly what happened in that alley after Kurt was grabbed from the sidewalk.

Blaine began reading. Noah said nothing. After a few minutes of reading, Blaine jumped up without warning and ran to the nearest restroom, emptying the contents of his stomach.

* * *

It was a beautiful Friday morning and Kurt was happily heading into work. Sure, he had a slight limp from the walking boot but this would do over his wheelchair any day. His leg and ankle were still quick to get sore so he opted to walk a few blocks just for the sunshine and then he grabbed a cab and made his way to The House of Rosaline Spencer.

Once he got there, he wasn't exactly sure where he should go. He hadn't worked in the building since his promotion but he knew that he would not be in his cubicle with the other junior staffers. He decided to go see Glenda Stapleton and take a chance that Ms. Spencer was in.

Glenda made eye contact with him as soon as he stepped off of the elevator. "Well Kurt Hummel! As I live and breathe! What brings you in this morning? Ms. Spencer said you were on a leave of absence."

Kurt went over to Glenda's desk and gave her a small hug. "Well, technically I am but as you can see, I'm doing much better. I was thinking about coming back to work. Uh, Ms. Spencer wouldn't happen to be in is she?"

"As a matter of fact, she is. She's preparing for a meeting with some of her distributors in Italy but let me buzz her and see if she has a few minutes to see you."

Kurt shook his head. "Oh no, that sounds like an important meeting. I don't want to disturb her."

"Nonsense! You are no bother to me, dear." Ms. Spencer had exited her office and walked in on the conversation Kurt was having with Glenda. She walked over and gave Kurt a kiss on both cheeks. "Of course I have some time for you. Come in." She then turned to Glenda. "Hold all of my calls, please."

Kurt walked in and sat down in one of the plush chairs across from Ms. Spencer's desk. "Ms. Spencer, it's really nice of you to take time out of your busy day but Glenda told me about a meeting you're getting ready for so I don't want to take up your…"

"Listen, dear. I'll hear none of that." Rosaline Spencer interrupted. "I've actually been wanting to speak with you." She walked over and sat down in the other plush chair right next to Kurt and faced him. She lowered her voice a bit. "I heard that Kayla Jones was behind what happened to you."

Kurt didn't know what to say. "Oh" was all he could muster.

Ms. Spencer reached over and placed her hand on Kurt's arm. "Kurt, dear, a detective questioned me regarding her employment and asked me questions about the fact that she was in the running for the same promotion in which I selected you. I quickly put two and two together. Now, I think it goes without saying that she is no longer an employee at The House of Rosaline Spencer."

Kurt nodded. "Thank you. I'm sure you're aware however, that she is currently being held in lockup until the DA decides whether or not to proceed forward with prosecution."

Ms. Spencer stood up and walked around to the other side of her desk and sat down. "Yes, I heard. But, I wanted to move ahead with her termination…just so there was no question. But that's not all I wanted to talk to you about."

Kurt looked confused. "Ok, what is it?"

She took a deep breath. "Kurt, this is a cutthroat industry. People are always gunning for you, trying to steal your ideas, claim them as their own. I've had to fight my entire career to get to where I am today. And I'm not going to lie – I had to step on a few toes." She laughed. "I will preface that with the fact that I've never once stolen an idea or concept from another designer. I respect this business too much for that. Obviously what Kayla did was out of the norm, Kurt, but once you become a household name – and I have no doubt that you will – you become more of a target to those that do not respect this business."

Kurt nodded. "I get it. And I understand."

Ms. Spencer continued. "As far as Kayla goes…now that she's no longer employed with us I can tell you that she had no future as a head designer. Sure, she is a talented artist and I could see her sketching for other designers but as far as her own designs? Ew, no."

Kurt laughed. Then he turned serious again. "I have been wondering how she knew that you selected me. I mean, as soon as our meeting was finished, I left the office and was attacked merely 20 minutes later. How could she have known and planned something so quickly?"

"Can I be honest with you, dear?"

Kurt nodded.

"I had a feeling about you since day one. I just had a feeling that you were something special…which is why I made sure that you applied for the promotion. As I mentioned to you the day I looked over your portfolio, I'd seen your work but what I didn't mention was that I'd been keeping tabs on your projects." She paused for a moment. "Now, I'm really not supposed to tell you this and if you ever say anything, I'll deny it to anyone that asks…but I knew from the very beginning that I was going to offer you the promotion – the chance to work with Paul. But I couldn't just hand it to you. I wanted you to work for it. I wanted you to show me what you could really do. It was just a dog and pony show for everyone else."

Kurt sat there speechless. He opened his mouth to speak a couple of times but nothing came out.

Ms. Spencer laughed. "It's ok; you don't have to say anything. Anyway, I met with Kayla a few days before I met with you. I took one look at her portfolio and it took all I had not to close it after the first design. But, I know how hard this business is and I felt like it would be harsh to turn her away without giving her any advice. Having said that, I suggested that she look over some of the things you'd been working on. I told her she could learn a few things from you."

"I take it she didn't take too kindly to that?" Kurt asked.

"Kurt dear, I've been in this business for many years and unfortunately Kayla's dream is not the first one I've crushed. I've had people argue with me. I've had people crying, begging for another chance. And yes, I've had people get angry. But Kayla was different. She said nothing. She just got this look of determination on her face and had a very stoic, stiff posture. Then she turned and walked out of my office without saying one word." Ms. Spencer suddenly looked sad, regretful. "Kurt, if anything I said to her, regarding you, caused her to come after you – caused her to devise this plan – then I'm truly sorry. I have felt horrible ever since I found out about her involvement."

Kurt shook his head. "No, don't apologize. There is no way you could've known what she was capable of. I sat next to her every day and I had no idea she was capable of thinking of something like this." Kurt sighed. "I'm just glad they are all behind bars and I can finally put this behind me. I'm almost 100% healed and pretty soon this entire experience will be behind me. And hey, maybe one day when I'm rich and famous, this will make a great story in my biography!" Kurt laughed.

Ms. Spencer smiled. "That's the confidence I like to see."

"I don't want to take up anymore of your time because I know you're busy but the real reason I came in is because I'm ready to come back to work. The only problem is that I don't know exactly where I'm supposed to be working."

Ms. Spencer jumped up. "Oh! Of course. We already had an office set up for you next door to Paul's. Glenda will show you where it is."

Kurt smiled. "Ok, great. Thank you." Kurt stood up and headed for the door.

"Kurt dear?" Ms. Spencer stopped him. "I meant what I said about this business being cutthroat. It's hard work. And it's not for everyone. You have a real bright future ahead of you but after what happened to you, I'd understand if you were a little skittish about jumping back into it."

Kurt shook his head. "No, I know it's going to be hard work. But I'm ready for it. I'm tired of trying to take the easy way out. I'm not doing that anymore."

"That's what I like to hear. Have Glenda show you to your office and then take the rest of the weekend off." She smiled at him. "I'll see you Monday morning, Kurt."

Kurt smiled at her once more and then left, asking Glenda to show him to his new office. Yes, Kurt was ready for all of it. If what had happened to him recently was any indication, hard work was required to get what you really wanted in life. Kurt was prepared to work hard on his career so he could find the success he'd always dreamed about. And Kurt was prepared to work hard on his relationship with Blaine. Having lost him once, he never wanted to go through that pain again. Hard work or not, his path sat before him and Kurt intended to push through.

* * *

Kurt wasn't exactly sure what to do with the rest of his day. After his eye-opening conversation with Ms. Spencer, he followed Glenda to his new office. He had to keep his jaw from falling to the floor when he walked in. Saying it was spacious was a gross understatement. Kurt's entire apartment could almost fit inside of this office. Kurt smiled at that thought – and remembered that soon he would be moving out of that tiny apartment forever to move into a brand new place with Blaine. The view from his office windows was stunning. He could see Central Park. He knew that most people liked having views of the Empire State Building, but Kurt really did prefer the view of Central Park.

His office was right next door to Paul Brewer's office and he was thankful that Paul happened to be in his office at the time. He stopped in and they chatted for about 30 minutes about ideas for Paul's upcoming line. Kurt had a few ideas that Paul liked and of course, Paul always wanted Kurt to add his flair. Paul agreed that Kurt should take the weekend off and come back Monday morning ready to hit the ground running. Paul penciled Kurt in on a few of his meetings so Kurt knew that come Monday he would be fully back in the swing of things.

Ms. Spencer had reminded him very quickly before he left to take as much time as he needed regarding his case. Kurt was eternally grateful for the kind consideration of his boss. He figured that a part of that was because she had admitted that she felt partly responsible for his attack due to her conversation with Kayla Jones. But Kurt meant what he'd said to her – he didn't blame her one bit for this accident. No one can predict the actions of others.

After finishing up at the office, Kurt took a cab back to the loft. He still wasn't sure what to do with himself. Blaine was still at work – and would be for the rest of the day. As much as Kurt missed having Blaine around, he wasn't about to disturb him because Kurt knew Blaine was working on his case. Preparing the package for the DA was a big deal and Kurt wanted Blaine's focus to be 100% on that. Kurt laughed at himself for missing Blaine so much. He saw him only a few hours ago and he knew that he would be seeing him again in another few hours. He couldn't help it though. He felt like he'd already missed so much time with Blaine and now that he had him back, he didn't want to miss another minute. But Kurt knew he had to resist the urge to surprise him with lunch or even call him. Kurt wanted Blaine to focus.

Kurt grabbed himself a quick bite to eat for lunch and then thought he might as well try to distract himself by designing. He hadn't really given much thought to what Blaine was working on all morning because he was caught up with Ms. Spencer and Paul Brewer. Now that he was alone with his thoughts he found himself having trouble focusing on anything else. He knew that what Blaine was doing at work with his boss would determine whether or not Jace Lavine, Tony Watkins and Kayla Jones would pay for the crimes they committed against him or whether they would go free. When he really stopped to think about it, he realized what a weight that must be on Blaine's shoulders.

He pulled out his sketch book and tried to design a few things based off of his brief conversation with Paul earlier. The distraction worked for a little bit – 45 minutes later he was out of ideas and going crazy thinking about what was going on with Blaine at work. He wanted so desperately to call him. He got up three different times to pick up his cell phone to call him before sitting back down without ever retrieving it. He knew once he had that phone in his hands it would be fruitless. Finally, on the fourth time, he was unable to hold back and he picked up his phone. One look and he saw he had a missed call. It was from Blaine. Shit! He'd turned his phone on silent when he went into the office this morning and he'd forgotten to turn the ringer back on.

He quickly typed in the passcode for his voicemail and listened as Blaine's voice came on the line. _"Hey baby. I know you are probably at work right now but if you could call me back as soon as you get a chance I would appreciate it. Thanks. I love you."_

Kurt pulled the phone away from his ear and looked at it with a confused expression. Standard Blaine was there in the message – calling Kurt 'baby' (which Kurt secretly loved but would never admit) and saying that he loved him – but something was off in his voice. He sounded…Kurt wasn't sure…panicked?

He quickly dialed Blaine back. He answered on the second ring. "Hey, Kurt. How are you? Are you still at work?"

Yes, that was definitely panic Kurt heard in Blaine's voice. "Hey. I spent a little bit of time at work this morning but I'm home now. What's going on? You sound like something's wrong."

Kurt heard Blaine's sigh of relief. "No, I'm fine…everything is fine. I just wanted to check in and see how work went for you."

"Blaine, don't forget how well we know each other. I know something's wrong. You might as well just tell me what it is. Are there problems with my case? Is that what it is?"

"No. There is nothing wrong with your case. Noah and I have been working on it all morning and things are progressing nicely. We both think we've built a very strong argument and the DA will have no choice but to proceed." Blaine paused for a moment. "It's just that going through all of the information that Det. Walton sent over brought me back to the day I received the phone call from Burt that you were in the hospital. I just needed to hear your voice and when you didn't answer, I got worried. I know it's stupid." Blaine's voice softened. "It's just that I love you so much, baby. I needed to know you were ok."

"Blaine, it's not stupid that you were worried about me. I love that about you. But, I'm fine. I'm home and work was good this morning…actually it was better than good. I'll tell you all about it tonight. Speaking of which, when do you think you might make it home tonight?" Kurt didn't tell Blaine, but he wanted to do something special for him – as a thank you for all Blaine has done for him.

"Um, I should be home no later than 6pm. But since you brought it up, Landry wants us to go to Bleakers tonight. Well, actually he wanted me to put on another performance but I was thinking that maybe I could drag you up there with me and we could duet. I've got the perfect song in mind." Blaine smiled to himself.

Kurt thought about it. The last time he was at Bleakers he was with Kevin. It actually made for a rather awkward night. But on the other hand, that was the night he heard Blaine sing again. A song that was directed at him…a song that was rather heartbreaking. It would be nice to erase that memory and replace it with something new. But Kurt also wanted to do something quiet tonight…something to celebrate and thank Blaine for all he'd done for him.

"Actually would you mind if we put it off until next week? I would kind of just like to have a quiet evening at home."

Blaine laughed. "Sure, we can go next week instead. I'm actually shocked that's all you said. You're not giving me a hard time for asking you to duet with me."

"Well now that you mention it…" Kurt paused for dramatic effect. "Seriously, I haven't performed in years and I'm probably a little rusty but it seems like a fun crowd at Bleakers so yes, Blaine, I will duet with you. What's the song?"

"Oh no, I'm not telling yet. It's a surprise." Kurt heard voices in the background. "Listen baby, I've got to get back to work. I'll see you tonight. I love you."

"Ok, I love you too." Kurt smiled to himself. Blaine thought whatever song he'd picked for their duet was surprise. He had no idea.

Kurt got to work on setting things up for Blaine to come home. He wasn't going for anything over the top. He just spent the afternoon cooking Blaine's favorite meal. With Robert's help he was able to move the couch out of the way and bring the small round dining table into the center of the room. While he was out picking up the ingredients for Blaine's favorite meal, he also picked up all of the special things he would need to set the table and make the loft look as romantic as possible.

He strung white fairy lights around the living room and in the bedroom. He placed a white tablecloth over the dining table and set a vase of a dozen red roses in the center. Kurt set out some of the finest china that the loft had as well as champagne glasses. He had bought a bottle of champagne at the store and was thankful – and not surprised – that the loft had a champagne chiller on hand. He had also bought a few extra roses so he could use the petals. He placed some petals on the bed. Kurt knew it was cheesy but he couldn't stop himself. He also placed a trail of rose petals from the dining table leading into the bedroom. Again, cheesy and the message would be clear as soon as Blaine saw it but Kurt didn't care.

Once the ambiance was set, he got to work on cooking. About 15 minutes into his cooking, his cell rang. He hoped it wasn't Blaine saying he was going to be late. He planned this meal to be ready and still hot when Blaine walked in the door. He looked at his caller ID: Lynn McCord, their realtor.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Hummel? It's Lynn McCord calling. I've got news for you."

"Oh, hello Ms. McCord. You've got news?" Kurt's heart rate sped up.

"Yes, I do. The sellers of the apartment you were looking at in the Beaumont Building? They've accepted your offer. They're not even countering. Seems they're more anxious to sell then they were letting on."

Kurt started bouncing in the kitchen. The Beaumont Building was their first choice. Neither of them had admitted that out loud when they were looking because they didn't want to get their hopes up and honestly, they would have been happy with their other option, but they both really wanted the Beaumont. "Oh my God! That's fantastic news! Blaine is going to be so happy! Thank you so much for calling!"

She laughed. "Well, I thought you'd want to know first thing. Anyway, I'll be in touch with you and Mr. Anderson next week regarding getting all of the papers signed for your mortgage and closing on the apartment. I'm not completely sure when the sellers will be out of the apartment but as soon as I get some more information, I'll be in touch and we can get on each other's calendars. Sound good?"

"Absolutely, Ms. McCord. That sounds perfect. Thanks again for calling. We'll talk soon." Kurt was beyond ecstatic and he knew Blaine would be too. This just added one more element to the surprise he had waiting for him.

* * *

Blaine began shutting down his computer at the end of the day. He was ready to get home to Kurt. It had been a long day. Turns out Det. Walton and Noah were right in regards to Blaine reading the specific details as to what those assholes did to Kurt in that alley. He barely got a few paragraphs in when he had to run to the bathroom and throw up. It was too much for his stomach. As a matter of fact, when he returned from the bathroom, Noah suggested again that Blaine not continue with reading it and Blaine agreed. He couldn't know any more than he already did. It was in that moment that he swore to himself that no matter what, Kurt could never hear those details. Blaine had made a promise to himself as well as to Kurt that he would never lie to him again. He hated to think of it but if Kurt asked, Blaine might be forced to tell him that he didn't read the details to spare him. Blaine didn't want to think about that. He would cross that bridge when he came to it.

That was also the moment he called Kurt. He needed to hear his voice and make sure that he was ok. He knew logically that Kurt was fine but he needed to verify it for his own peace of mind. When Kurt didn't answer a strange panic washed over him. New York can be a scary place. Hell, the entire world can be a scary place. The thought of what happened to Kurt happening to him again terrified him. Blaine knew he loved Kurt with all of his heart but the thought of losing him made him realize that his love for Kurt ran deeper than he even knew was possible.

Otherwise the day was successful. He and Noah had spent the day preparing the package for the DA and Blaine learned a lot under Noah's guidance. Noah took on the parts regarding the information too sensitive for Blaine to deal with but still found a way to educate him on the entire process. It was quite the learning experience and Blaine was grateful for it. By the time their day was over, Noah said they'd prepared a very thorough package and he was absolutely positive the DA would agree to prosecute.

Blaine was smiling as he locked his office door and headed out into the cool New York air. He thought about how much his life had changed in just the matter of a few months. Back then he was still working for his father and had not spoken to Kurt in years. Now, here he was, in New York City, working for one of the top law firms and the best part was that he was back with Kurt. They were back together, in love and looking to buy an apartment together. He felt the need to constantly pinch himself to remind him that this was all real. Every time Kurt looked at him and told him that he loved him was like dream…the best dream ever. He never thought he could be so happy.

He made his way to the loft in record time. Sure, he'd spoken to Kurt earlier and knew that he was just fine but he couldn't wait to lay eyes on him, hug him and kiss him. He was not prepared for what he saw when he opened the front door. What greeted him was soft lighting and music playing lowly in the background. The dining table had been moved into the center of the room and from the doorway Blaine could see that it was already set and a meal had been prepared. Kurt was sitting in one of the chairs at the table – dressed to the nines. It made Blaine feel as if he looked boring and stuffy in his suit.

Kurt slowly got up from his seat at the table and sauntered over to Blaine. "Welcome home, dear." He leaned in and kissed the shocked look right off of Blaine's face.

Blaine welcomed Kurt's kiss and then pulled back and looked at him. "Kurt? What is all of this?" He felt as if his looks were deceiving him. This seemed too good to be true.

Kurt smiled. "Well you've done so much for me since you came back into my life – SO much. I wanted to do a little something in return. Now I know me preparing a romantic meal for the two of us is nothing in comparison to you bringing my attackers to justice. I just want you to know how much I truly love you. I know I fought it for a long time and I'm so thankful that you didn't give up on us. I'm so thankful that you were still there for me when I came around. I was so scared that night I told you that I loved you that you would tell me that you were over it and you didn't want me anymore…"

"Never!" Blaine interrupted. "Baby, I love you and I will always want you. I would have waited for all of eternity for you." Blaine glanced over Kurt's shoulder and took in the room once more. "This is incredibly romantic, you know. Unnecessary, but incredibly romantic."

Kurt shook his head. "That's where you're wrong Blaine. It was necessary. I needed to do this for you and me both. I never, ever want you to doubt that I love you and that a life with you is exactly what I want."

Blaine leaned in and kissed Kurt gently. "I have never and will never doubt your love for me." Blaine put his nose in the air and took a deep inhale. "Do I smell what I think I smell?"

"Yes, you do." Kurt tugged on Blaine's tie. "Now let's eat. I made sure everything would be ready and perfect by the time you got home."

They both sat down at the table and Kurt uncovered the dishes. The meal looked delicious and Blaine's mouth began to water. They began eating in comfortable silence. Kurt couldn't wait to tell Blaine about the Beaumont Building but he wanted him to enjoy his meal first. They both enjoyed the comfortable silence between them. No words were necessary. Kurt could tell that Blaine loved the meal and Blaine could tell that Kurt had made it out of pure love. The rose petals leading to the bedroom did not escape Blaine's attention either. Blaine agreed with Kurt's earlier assessment that a quiet evening at home, just the two of them, is much better than spending it out at Bleakers.

Kurt noticed that Blaine was nearly finished with his dinner and they had already gone through three glasses of champagne each. Kurt thought he'd work up to the apartment news. "So, how was work today, dear?" Kurt winked at him.

Blaine laughed. "Well, dear, today was a good day." Blaine winked back. "In all seriousness though, we got the package for the DA ready. Noah is having it messengered over to her office so she'll have it tomorrow morning if she so happens to go to her office on a Saturday. Although, I really wouldn't expect to hear anything back until sometime next week. Noah told me that these things can take time."

"So Det. Walton's information was good then? Everything was thorough? You and your boss think that this is only a formality, right? I mean, Det. Walton had enough evidence to put them away for a long time, right?" Kurt sounded nervous.

Blaine wanted to side step this as much as he could – hoping to avoid going into specifics as to what information Det. Walton had actually provided. He reached across the table and took Kurt's hands in his. "Yes, Noah and I are convinced this is just a formality. Kurt, you don't have to worry anymore. DA Answell is going to agree to prosecute." He took a deep breath. "Now, how about we talk about something happy?"

Kurt took the bait and smiled. "Ok, well as it turns out, we got some great news this afternoon."

Blaine's eyebrows rose. "Oh yeah?"

"Yep. Lynn McCord called. Are you ready for this Blaine?" Blaine nodded in response. "We got the apartment in the Beaumont Building! No counter or anything! They accepted our first offer! It's ours, Blaine!"

Blaine was speechless for a moment. He just stared at Kurt. Finally he spoke. "The Beaumont Building? We got it? Really? It's ours?"

Kurt nodded. "It's ours. Lynn McCord is going to call us sometime next week to set up a time to sign all the paperwork and all of the other stuff that comes with buying an apartment, but it's ours, Blaine."

Blaine jumped up from his seat and pulled Kurt up to stand next to him. "I feel like I need to continue to pinch myself. How is all of this real? It's really happening, Kurt. All of our dreams are finally coming true." Blaine leaned in and kissed him.

Kurt returned Blaine's kiss and then pulled back. "Well, I do have another dream I'm hoping you'll fulfill tonight." Kurt winked.

"Ah, don't think I didn't notice the rose petals and where they're leading." Blaine reached down and grabbed Kurt's hand – leading him into the bedroom. Once there, they began slowly undressing each other.

When they got down to their boxers, Kurt stopped him. "Blaine? You made love to me last night and it was perfect but I was hoping I could make love to you tonight. This whole evening has been about me showing you how much I love you and I really need to make love to you."

Blaine placed his hand along Kurt's cheek. "Of course, baby. I would love for you to make love to me."

Their love making was slow and tender. It was exactly how Kurt wanted it to be. He felt bad for putting Blaine through the ringer for as long as he had and now that they were together it was important for Blaine to know that Kurt would never leave him again. They took their time with each other – worshipping each other's bodies as they went. This wasn't about raw and needy. This was about passion and love and an unspoken promise to each other. An unspoken promise that they would be together forever, that nothing would ever separate them, that one day they would marry and then they would have children and raise a family together and they would grow old together. And hopefully, if they truly were Allie and Noah from _The Notebook_ one day they would take their last breaths together – holding each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: The DA responds and Kurt gets quite the shock at work. I like giving you little teasers to encourage you to stick with the story. I truly love everyone that reads WIPs. Thank you!
> 
> See you guys next weekend!! :)


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For your reading pleasure...Again, please remember that I am aware that the details surrounding Kurt's case are not how things would go in the real world so when you're reading about charges and jail time, etc, just go with the flow. It's not really going to be brought back up after this chapter.
> 
> Mistakes are all mine.
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing.

The next few days went by quickly for both Kurt and Blaine. They spent the weekend barely getting out of bed. There was such a comfort of simply being in each other's presence. Between making love to each other and just holding each other, their weekend was pure bliss. In fact, neither one of them wanted to get up Monday morning for work. If they could stay in their little cocoon forever they would be perfectly content. But life called and work was a part of that.

Once Kurt actually left for work Monday morning he was actually excited to be getting back. He had his own office and was working one on one with one of the top designers in men's fashion. Paul hadn't been kidding on Friday when he told Kurt to be ready to hit the ground running once Monday rolled around. They spent the morning in back to back meetings, talking with distributors and speaking with fabric consultants. They spent an hour and a half in the sewing department because on one of the prototypes Paul had designed, the seams were off by half an inch and it was important that the sewing department understood the difference and how important it was that everything be absolutely perfect. It was quite the learning experience for Kurt. He'd been studying designing for years, but to be side by side with someone so important in the business was truly a dream come true.

* * *

Blaine found that dreams come true for him as well. As soon as he walked into his office Monday morning, Noah Rhoades was waiting on him with a smile on his face. He called Blaine into his office without even giving Blaine the chance to get his computer started and email checked.

"Blaine, I know you just walked in the door. Hell, you're still carrying your lunch with you. But this was way too important to wait another minute."

"No, it's fine. What's going on?"

Noah smiled at Blaine. "DA Answell called me first thing this morning. Not only is she agreeing to move forward, but she feels that there will not be a need for a court trial. Jace Lavine and Kayla Jones both confessed to their parts in the attack on Mr. Hummel and even though Tony Watkins did not confess, Mr. Lavine and Ms. Jones' testimony against him, as well as finding the baseball bat with Mr. Hummel's blood on it in Mr. Watkins' closet is enough for a conviction. DA Answell feels like their public defenders will go for a plea bargain right off the bat. Taking this to court, with a jury would not be a smart decision on their part."

Blaine was beside himself. "Well that's great news. I'm sure Kurt will be very happy to hear that there might not be a need for a trial. We've never specifically discussed it but I'm sure that would not be something he'd want to sit through. I do have one question though."

"Sure. What is it?"

"Well if they go for a plea bargain, what would the charges be reduced to?" Blaine knew being charged with attempted murder meant years behind bars – many years. Whatever the new charges, Blaine wanted to ensure that it still included jail time. He would settle for nothing less. He knew that Kurt would settle for nothing less too.

"DA Answell is willing to plea down to attempted manslaughter. She will not agree to anything lesser. Just remember, you have to discuss this with Mr. Hummel. Ultimately he has the final decision. If he refuses to allow the DA to plea down – and he has that right as the victim – then this will go to trail and it will be put before a jury of their peers. His chances of a conviction for attempted murder do increase but it also means that Mr. Hummel will have to relive the entire incident all over again. Blaine, that includes hearing the details of exactly what happened to him – the details that were too much for even you to deal with."

"And that means what in terms of jail time?"

"Well attempted murder could have gotten them upwards of 30 years in jail. Reducing it to attempted manslaughter will probably be around half of that – 15 years. Of course, it does all depend on the judge that handles the sentencing."

Blaine thought for a minute. Fifteen years behind bars is a long time. However, 30 years is a lot longer. If it were up to Blaine, he'd be taking those assholes to court – no question. But it's not up to Blaine. This is up to Kurt. "Ok, I hear you Noah. I'll discuss it with Kurt tonight and then let you know how he feels."

"Ok, Blaine. Just let me know what he decides and we'll move on from there. Now, go to your office and get settled in. The Bruce Wellington case has yet another crinkle and we need to tackle it head on."

Blaine groaned. "Oh Lord…how many crinkles are going to appear with this case?"

* * *

Kurt was utterly exhausted by the time he left his office for home. He'd spoken to Blaine recently and Blaine had agreed to pick up some Chinese on his way home. Kurt was too tired to cook and his ankle and leg were still sore from being on his feet for so long, which is another reason why he chose to take a cab home rather than the subway. By the time he got back to the loft, Blaine was already there, dishing out the Chinese food out on a plate. This always made Kurt laugh. He swore he and Blaine were probably the only people on the planet that ate Chinese food on plates but they enjoyed sharing too much.

Kurt slipped up behind Blaine and wrapped his arms around Blaine's waist while softly kissing his neck. "Oh, I'm so glad to be home."

Blaine turned around in Kurt's arms to face him. "I'm glad you're home too." He kissed him again. "Long day?"

Kurt sighed as he grabbed one of the plates of food and brought it over to the table. "You could say that. I mean, it was a great day, don't get me wrong, but it was long. Paul had me join him in meeting after meeting but…" Kurt smiled. "…God, Blaine I loved every minute of it. Paul showed me things I didn't know that I didn't know…you know?"

Blaine laughed. "I'm not sure I know but you seem happy and that's what matters."

"So, how was your day?" Kurt was secretly hoping that there would be news about his case but Blaine had told him that it could take time.

Blaine cleared his throat. "Uh, well we heard something about your case, Kurt."

"What? And you're just now telling me? Blaine, you should have led our dinner conversation with that!"

"Well you have a decision to make, Kurt." Blaine paused. When Kurt said nothing, he continued. "The DA said that a trial could be avoided entirely…"

"Oh thank God!" Kurt interrupted. "I don't think I could handle sitting through a trial."

"There's more to it than that, Kurt. A trial can be avoided if a plea bargain is offered and accepted. They would plea down from attempted murder to attempted manslaughter."

Kurt looked confused. "What does that mean?"

"Well if you agree then the DA would plea down to attempted manslaughter and there would not be a trial. There would be a sentencing by a judge – which you would not be required to attend – and they would most likely get around 15 years…"

"And if I don't agree?"

"Then there's a trial, jury, the whole nine yards. They would be charged with attempted murder and they would most likely get around 30 years if convicted." Blaine could see the change in Kurt's eyes. "Kurt, you have to know though that if you want to go to trial then you will be asked to take the stand. And, it means reliving the entire experience…getting the hospital involved – Dr. Richardson and Kevin as well as Liam Newman, the guy that found you. Not to mention that it would be a lengthy process. Trail dates don't get set overnight. It could be up to a year before a date is even set, let alone however long the trial would last. Then there is another gap between the end of the trial and sentencing. My guess? If you wanted to go to trial from start to finish it could take as long as two years."

Kurt sat speechless for a while. "What should I do, Blaine? What would you do?"

Blaine grabbed Kurt's hand. "Baby, I can't answer that for you. And I don't want to influence your decision one way or another. Just know that whatever you decide, I'll be behind you 100%...no question."

"If I opted for the plea bargain…how long until we could put this behind us? How long would it be until the sentencing?"

"Well, I'm not entirely sure but my guess is that it would take a month…maybe two."

Kurt thought for a moment. "I…I don't want a trial, Blaine. I don't. I can't sit through that. I need to put this thing behind me once and for all. I know that means those bastards will only get half of the sentence they probably deserve but my sanity is more important to me than that. This damn attack has ruled my life for too long. I just want it over."

"Are you sure?"

Kurt sighed. "Yes, Blaine. I'm sure. I know I said before that I wanted to know the details of what happened to me – and I know you know…don't pretend you don't…" Kurt saw Blaine bow his head bashfully. "…but I don't want to know anymore. I've got one more doctor's appointment coming up to get this cast off of my arm and get rid of this walking boot and then I'm done. I'm done, Blaine."

Blaine leaned over the table and kissed Kurt. "Baby, I'm so proud of your determination. And I'm behind you on this. I'll tell Noah tomorrow at work and we'll just move forward." Blaine kissed Kurt again. "Can I ask how you knew that I know about the details of your attack?"

Kurt smiled softly. "Because I know you Blaine. I knew when you walked in the door last week that you knew. I could see it in your eyes when you looked at me. "

"Well to be fair Kurt, I don't know all of the details. I couldn't get through the entire document."

"That bad, huh? I guess I'm glad I don't remember any of it besides the initial hit to the head."

Blaine grimaced. "Yeah, but you know what? Let's change the subject. We need to focus on moving forward – not looking back."

Kurt smiled. "I couldn't agree more."

* * *

By Wednesday, a comfortable morning routine between the men had emerged and they were out and headed into work after a kiss and an 'I love you'. Both Kurt and Blaine really were loving life and they decided to embrace it rather than wait for the proverbial other shoe to drop. Blaine had told his boss about Kurt's decision to allow DA Answell to offer a plea bargain and Kurt was not having a single regret about it. Kurt had a doctor's appointment this afternoon and he was expecting to get his cast off of his arm and get rid of the walking boot. After that, all evidence of his attack would only exist in his memories – and he was thankful that his memories weren't that vivid.

Blaine had only been settled in his office for about an hour when Landry walked in…although burst in was more like it. "Geez Landry, how about knocking?"

Landry laughed. "Sorry – not my style. Besides, I knew you didn't have a client in here or anything…although you could have that boyfriend of yours hiding under your desk there."

Landry was nothing if not completely honest – always saying exactly what is on his mind. "Um, no, Kurt is at work. So, what can I do for you?"

"I'm glad you asked. I only want one thing…"

When Landry didn't continue Blaine knew he would have to ask. He was kind of afraid of what he could want. "Which is…?"

"Simple. Bleakers on Friday night. You bailed last week and I refuse to take no for an answer."

Blaine smiled. This was an easy request. Kurt had already agreed. "No problem. I've already talked about it with Kurt. We're in."

"Good to hear, man. Now, come on. The Wellington case just keeps getting better and better. Noah wants to meet with all of us."

* * *

Kurt's smile always seemed to enlarge every time he walked into his office. He was so glad he was able to come in every day. The emails and Skype way of working was nice while he was still in his wheelchair but now that he was mobile he was grateful that he was able to put in face time. Apparently Paul was too because he continued to give Kurt more and more creative freedom. Paul had been very specific as to what he wanted his fall line to represent and look like but he had given Kurt the chance to design some of his own ensembles rather than just adding 'flair' to Paul's existing designs. Kurt was in heaven.

When noon rolled around, Kurt stepped into Paul's office and reminded him that he would be gone for the rest of the afternoon due to his doctor's appointment. Kurt had just stepped into the elevator when Rosaline Spencer walked into Paul's office.

"So Paul, how is Kurt doing?"

"Rosaline, you couldn't have picked a better person to work alongside of me. He's got fantastic ideas and he's just bursting with energy. He still has some learning to do with regards to the ins and outs of what it really takes to produce a full fashion line but before long I'll have to watch my own back because he'll be after my job! I swear, Rosaline. We've got to keep that kid happy or he'll take his talents to another fashion house."

Rosaline Spencer smiled. "Oh don't you worry about that, Paul. I've got my own plans for our dear Mr. Hummel."

* * *

Kurt made good time to Dr. Richardson's office so he had a little bit of time to wait before the doctor could see him. He decided to send Blaine a text, just to let him know he was thinking of him. This always put a smile on his face. He was so thankful that he'd figured things out with regards to his feelings for Blaine before it was too late. His text to Blaine was short and sweet: _Just wanted you to know that I'm thinking about you. I love you so much!_ About 30 seconds later came the reply: _Aw, I love you too, baby!_

After waiting for another five minutes, Kurt heard a familiar voice. "Kurt?"

Kurt turned his head and saw Kevin standing next to him. "Oh hi, Kevin." It was a little awkward. Kurt did feel bad for hurting Kevin's feelings and there was absolutely nothing wrong with Kevin. He was a good guy. He just wasn't Blaine.

"I'm assuming you're here for a checkup?"

Kurt nodded his head. "Yeah. I should be getting the cast off today." He lifted his walking boot up off of the floor. "I'm hoping to get rid of this thing too."

Kevin smiled. "That's great. You look good. I'm assuming that everything is going well in your life then?"

Kurt knew that was Kevin's subtle way of asking if he and Blaine were still together. "Yeah, things are good. Um, turns out I won't need to sit through a court trial."

"Really? How'd that come about?"

"Well, everyone connected with my attack was caught and are behind bars and they're plea bargaining so…no court trial." Kurt was still relieved.

Kevin's smile was small and stiff. "So, I guess Blaine really was your savior."

"Look Kevin, I'm sorry I hurt your feelings but I just can't apologize for how I feel. You really are a great guy. I honestly mean that but…"

"I'm not Blaine…" Kevin interrupted.

"Yes."

"So you and Blaine are…" Kevin trailed off.

"Yes. We're still together." It felt weird for Kurt to say they were _still_ together. It felt as if they'd lived a thousand lifetimes since the morning Blaine called Kurt to tell him about the video evidence he'd found, but in actuality it had only been a couple of weeks.

"Well, that's good I guess." Kevin said. "I mean, I want you to be happy, Kurt. And I guess it's good we figured this out now before we both got in deeper, you know?"

Kurt nodded. Then, as if his saving grace, the nurse called Kurt's name indicating the doctor was ready to see him. Kurt and Kevin exchanged polite goodbyes and then Kurt followed the nurse back into the exam room. Kurt's gut instinct was right – the doctor removed his walking boot and then after a quick trip to the casting area, his arm cast was removed. This was the last piece to the puzzle. He was finally free from his attack. The people that did it to him were behind bars and the last remaining pieces of evidence were finally removed from his body. Aside from a few scars left behind, there was nothing physically evident that he'd even been attacked.

Kurt knew there would always be an internal scar that remained with him. He knew that alleys would probably always provide him with a little bit of nervousness. But, he also knew that his attack was what ultimately brought him and Blaine back together. It was the catalyst for Blaine finally quitting his job and moving to New York. Kurt remembered something Blaine had said to him in the hospital. He'd told Kurt that when he was beaten up after the Sadie Hawkins dance and his old high school it was what led him to transfer to Dalton…and what ultimately led him to meeting Kurt. He'd said that getting beaten up turned out to be one of the best things to ever happen to him. Kurt had rolled his eyes when Blaine had said that because he didn't think he'd ever look at his attack that way. But now, here he was, fresh from the doctor's office after receiving a clean bill of health and he knew that his attack was what brought Blaine to New York – it was what brought them back together. So yes, Kurt could now agree with Blaine and say that getting attacked was, strangely, one of the best things to ever happen to him…though he would never, ever want to go through anything like that ever again.

* * *

As Kurt was heading to the subway, his cell phone began ringing. It was their realtor, Lynn McCord. Kurt answered quickly. "Hello?"

"Good afternoon, Mr. Hummel. I hope I'm not disturbing you. Do you have a few minutes?"

"Oh yes, Ms. McCord. What can I do for you?"

"Well it's more of what I can do for you. The Smiths are ready to transfer ownership of the apartment in the Beaumont. All I need is to set up a time for you and Mr. Anderson to come and sign the paperwork. Once you sign, the keys are yours."

Kurt couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Are you saying we could get the keys today?"

"Yes. That is if you and Mr. Anderson can come by my office sometime this afternoon."

"Ok, I need to give Blaine a call and see if he can get away for a few hours. I'll call you right back, Ms. McCord. Thank you!"

Kurt dialed Blaine as quickly as he could. "Hey baby. How'd your appointment go? Cast free?"

Kurt was so excited about the apartment he had completely forgotten that he was a cast free man. "Yeah, everything is gone but that's not why I'm calling."

Blaine took in Kurt's anxious state. "What's wrong? You sound freaked out about something."

"No, nothing is wrong. Can you get away for a few hours?"

Now Blaine really thought something was wrong. Kurt would never ask Blaine to leave in the middle of work unless something was wrong. "Kurt, you're freaking me out. What's wrong? Why do you need me to leave work? Are you ok?"

"Blaine, yes, I'm fine. I just got a phone call from Lynn. If we can get to her office and sign some paperwork, the apartment will be ours by the end of the day – keys in hand. That's why I'm freaked out. Keys in hand, Blaine!"

"Oh! Wow! That was fast. Uh, yeah, I'll go tell Noah that I need to step out for a bit. I'll meet you at Lynn's office. Does that work for you?"

"Absolutely. I'll see you there. Love you."

Kurt felt like he had never rushed to get somewhere so fast before in his life. He was so anxious. Not because the loft was horrible because it was actually quite nice. And, it was and will forever be the first place he and Blaine lived in as a couple. No, he was anxious because this was a big deal. He and Blaine were buying a place together. It wasn't going to be Kurt moving in with Blaine or Blaine moving in with Kurt. This would be their place – their place together. He wanted to start that life immediately.

Kurt called Lynn back and told them that they were on their way. Kurt arrived at her office first and he opted on waiting for Blaine before going in. He wanted them to go through this entire process together. Blaine made his way in shortly after Kurt. As they were walking into Lynn's office, Blaine leaned in to Kurt and gave him a kiss on the cheek before whispering, "I can't believe this is happening!"

Lynn went over every detail of the purchase agreement and both Kurt and Blaine signed in every appropriate place as co-owners. They smiled at each other every time they signed their name. Finally after every i had been dotted and every t crossed, Lynn smiled at each of them and handed over two sets of keys – one for Kurt and one for Blaine.

They stood up and shook Lynn's hand and then they turned and embraced each other before walking out onto the street holding hands. Blaine turned and looked at Kurt. "Fuck going back to work! We're going home!"

Kurt smiled. "I like the sound of that!"

They took the short subway ride to the Beaumont Building and rode the elevator up to the 10th floor. They couldn't believe how lucky they'd been to get this place! The hardwood flooring throughout the apartment was absolutely stunning and Kurt was already thinking about the different area rugs he could put down to spice up each room. The kitchen was state of the art, with all the highest quality appliances. There were three bedrooms throughout. Even though they had never discussed children in a specific case, they both knew deep down that they'd like to have two and this apartment was perfect for that. The master suite was what really sold them both on this being their first choice. Beautiful french doors opened up to an incredibly spacious room that could easily fit more than one king sized bed. Kurt could already picture having a chaise lounge off to one corner. He'd always dreamed about having a bedroom that would also have a sitting area. There were two master closets – both walk-in. Blaine knew this was a major selling point for Kurt. They shared most everything in their lives but sharing a closet was not something Kurt wanted. This way they wouldn't have to. But above all was the absolutely magnificent view of Central Park from their bedroom window. They could see Rockefeller Center and the famous ice skating rink in addition to a view of Central Park in its entirety.

After Kurt and Blaine took yet another tour of their new home Blaine turned and looked at Kurt and saw that he was sporting a facial expression that was something short of ecstatic. "What's wrong?"

Kurt looked over at Blaine and half smiled. "Nothing really. It's just that I'm sad that this place is ours and we can't even spend the night here because we don't have any furniture or anything to sleep on. And before you say anything, no, I am not sleeping on the hard floors. We need furniture."

Blaine laughed. "Ok you're right. So we can't sleep here tonight but we can spend Saturday and Sunday moving your furniture in and then as soon as we can, we'll go back to Westerville so I can get my stuff out of my place."

Kurt groaned. "Saturday? That's two days away, Blaine."

"Kurt, actually it's a day and a half, and besides, I'll totally make it worth your while." Blaine wagged his eyebrows at him. The wheels in his head were turning. Blaine had a perfect idea in mind. He would need some help to pull it off but he thought he would be able to handle it.

Kurt groaned again.

Blaine looked at him – that same expression was on Kurt's face. "Now what's wrong?"

"I'm just thinking about the furniture at my apartment. It doesn't go in this place at all. My furniture looks cheap because, well, it was. This place needs something classy."

Blaine walked over and put his arms around Kurt's waist. "Ok, I'll tell you what. We can either bring your furniture over this weekend or we can wait until we can afford to buy some classy stuff and we'll just stay in the loft until that happens. Your choice."

Kurt smiled at him. "You're an ass you know that?" Kurt knew Blaine was teasing him because they'd already discussed how they would be financially strapped for a little bit while adjusting to the new mortgage payment – which was quite a bit more than Kurt was paying on his apartment and what Blaine was still paying on his apartment in Ohio.

Blaine smiled back. "Yes, but you love me anyway."

"Yes, I do love you – and I love your ass too!" Kurt placed his hands on Blaine's ass cheeks and leaned in and kissed him deeply. After a few minutes of kissing Kurt pulled back. "Mmmm, it's a shame we are both empty handed here. How much fun would it be to christen this place?"

"Oh baby, you have no idea. You're making me hard just thinking about it."

"Well then let's get out of here. You can take me as hard as you want back at the loft" Kurt whispered as he grabbed Blaine's hand and proceeded to drag him out of their brand new apartment.

"Kurt Hummel, you are going to be the death of me."

"That's the plan!"

* * *

Friday morning rolled around and Kurt was having a hard time getting out of bed. Blaine had taken him seriously last night when he said he could take him as hard as he wanted. He rolled over and turned the alarm off, groaning as he did. It had been a long time since he'd been this sore. It was a good sore though. When it came from Blaine, it was always a good sore.

Blaine heard Kurt groaning and smiled to himself. Last night had been all about raw and needy. It had been quite awhile since they'd literally just fucked each other. Since getting back together they both wanted to make a point of making love – to express their feelings towards each other. Oh there were feelings last night, there always was when it came to the two of them, but sometimes it's nice to just be animalistic and fuck with abandon.

Blaine snuggled up along Kurt's back, acting as the big spoon. "Mmmm, morning, baby."

Kurt softened into the curve of Blaine's body against his and smiled. "Don't even think about round two, Anderson. I don't think I'll be able to walk today."

Blaine laughed and kissed the back of Kurt's neck. "Are you saying you didn't enjoy last night? You were the one that said I could take you as hard as I wanted to after all."

Kurt turned and faced Blaine, groaning as he did. "Oh I enjoyed last night – thoroughly. But the next time someone is taking the other one hard, it's gonna be me on you, buddy." Kurt slowly got out of bed and headed to the shower.

Once Blaine heard the shower running he picked up his phone. He dialed his office and Emily answered the phone. After polite morning greetings she transferred him to Noah at his request. The first part of making his plan work involved getting a reprieve from work today…a reprieve that Kurt could not know about. Noah was completely on board once Blaine explained what he wanted to do. Once part one was handled, he got up and joined Kurt in the shower.

An hour later Kurt was heading off to the office. Usually he and Blaine left together but this morning Blaine informed him that the first big meeting of the day wasn't until 10am so his boss had told them all they could come in a little bit later. Kurt spent the first part of the morning sitting in on meetings with Paul. Paul was making sure that Kurt was included in every discussion that was taking place. It was nice that Kurt felt respected enough that his opinion mattered.

After a working lunch, Rosaline Spencer stopped in. Her presence surprised him a little bit. Truthfully, he'd seen less of her now that he was working than he did while he was on a leave of absence. "Kurt dear, would you mind stepping into my office for a bit? I'd like to talk to you about something."

"Oh no, not at all." He got up and followed her to the elevator and up to her office, passing Glenda and smiling a hello at her on the way. Once inside, he took a seat in the familiar plush chair and Ms. Spencer sat at her desk.

She looked at him for a moment. "So, how are things going? Working with Paul – are you learning? Absorbing everything he's teaching you?"

Kurt smiled. "Paul has been fantastic…really. I've been learning so much. And he's very good at making sure my ideas are heard – really making me feel like part of the team."

"Well that's good to hear dear." She paused. "Kurt, I've been thinking about you and your future with this fashion house…"

Kurt felt a strange pit in his stomach. This did not sound good. Oh dear Lord – he really hoped he was not losing his job. Not after he and Blaine had just bought an apartment – a very expensive apartment. "Ok" was all Kurt could manage to say.

"I don't think I want you completing your apprenticeship with Paul…"

"What? Why? Did I do something wrong?" Kurt knew it was rude to interrupt but he couldn't contain himself.

"What? No, darling. You didn't do anything wrong." She could see now how he was interpreting her words. "You're doing everything right…too right as a matter of fact. I glanced back over your portfolio and inspiration struck."

Ok, now Kurt was confused. "I'm not following."

"Kurt, the children's clothing designs you included in your portfolio? The ones you said you included based on your gut instinct? Well, I want to develop a children's line. A full line. It's a little late to get started on a line for the fall season so I'm thinking spring, next spring. What do you think?"

Kurt was still confused. He was glad that he was able to provide her with inspiration but he still wasn't sure how exactly this involved him. "That's great, Ms. Spencer. Do you need me to help out in some way?"

She chuckled. "No darling, I don't want you to just help. I want you to be the head designer."

"The head what?"

Now she full out laughed. "The head designer, Kurt. You are too talented to be sidelined with Paul. I've seen the work you've been doing and it is utterly fantastic. The suit you designed the other day…all I could see in my mind was a little five year old wearing it. It's time to expand. This fashion house has been a little stagnant and I think developing a children's line is the perfect way to go. What do you think?"

Kurt's head was having a hard time catching up. "You want me to be the head designer of a children's line? A children's line in the House of Rosaline Spencer?"

She smiled at him. "Yes. That is what I'm saying. Now, you'll have a little time to assemble your staff but I wouldn't wait too long. It won't be long before the spring season is ready to roll out and I plan to promote the hell out of this. No pressure but if I'm going to expand and develop an entire new line it's got to be the best. This fashion house does not fail."

Kurt was reeling. "A staff? I'm sorry but my brain is just a little bit behind here."

Ms. Spencer got up and walked over to sit next to Kurt. "I know. This is probably a lot for you to take in. And I'm operating under the assumption that you will accept. First things first…I've discussed this with Paul and he's agreed to assist you in understanding exactly what it takes to start a line from scratch. You began working with Paul once he already had his concept for the fall line laid out. Now, as far as selecting your staff, you'll want to choose wisely. You're free to choose any of the junior staffers you used to work with but Glenda will be more than happy to get you a comprehensive list of qualified candidates as well. Your staff will consist of people to work in the cutting room, the sewing room and assistants. Remember, the assistants can help you finesse your designs but the whole concept will be yours. You can have a personal assistant if you'd like but there will be a budget you'll have to adhere to regarding your staff as well. I'm going to loan Glenda's assistant out to you so you can get started."

"Glenda has an assistant?"

Ms. Spencer laughed again. "Figures that's what you'd pick up on. Yes, my assistant has an assistant. When you're Rosaline Spencer of The House of Rosaline Spencer, your assistant needs an assistant. Faith is her name and she's fantastic. But she's only on loan to you." She paused and looked at Kurt. "So darling…what do you say? Do you want to be my newest head designer for the newest line in The House of Rosaline Spencer?"

Kurt looked over at her with the biggest smile his face could muster. "Yes! Yes, I absolutely do!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did anyone see Kurt becoming a children's designer coming? 
> 
> Next up: They duet at Bleakers and Blaine has a surprise for Kurt. And for a future teasing: Blaine will speak with his father. Not in the next chapter, but soon. We're really close to the end guys! 
> 
> Happy Easter and see y'all next weekend!


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the later than usual update. Here we have Kurt and Blaine going to Bleakers and singing their duet. And Blaine has a surprise for Kurt. Enjoy!
> 
> Mistakes are all mine.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Blaine had to make sure that he beat Kurt home from work. Usually Kurt beat him home but seeing as Blaine had not been at work at all today and therefore was not wearing a suit, Kurt would have all kinds of questions if Blaine walked in after him wearing jeans and a casual top. His timing was perfect…Kurt walked in the door 20 minutes after Blaine.

"Oh my God, you will not believe what happened to me today!" was Kurt's greeting.

"Well hello to you too." Blaine replied.

Kurt walked over and gave Blaine a quick kiss on the lips. "Sorry but again, Oh my God you will not believe what happened to me today!"

Blaine smiled at him. "From that tone I take it you have good news?"

"Oh do I! Ms. Spencer called me into her office and started talking about my future with the company and how she didn't think I should be working one on one with Paul Brewer anymore and I totally thought she was going to fire me and…are you ready for this, Blaine?"

Blaine laughed at Kurt's enthusiasm. "As ready as I'll ever be."

"She is expanding and developing a children's line and she wants me to be the head designer! The fucking head designer, Blaine! Me! My concept! My ideas! I get to hire a staff! My own fucking staff! Can you believe that?"

"What? Oh my God, baby! That's fantastic!" Blaine ran over and picked Kurt up in a huge bear hug. "I'm so proud of you!"

"It's just…I feel like I'm dreaming. I mean, it's so overwhelming and I don't even have the foggiest idea as to where to start but Ms. Spencer told me that Paul was going to help me get started and then…" Kurt sighed deeply. "…my first line will be for the spring season and I'm going to be under a lot of pressure. She told me she was going to promote the hell out of it and she basically told me that failure was not an option."

"Kurt, your line will be fantastic, I just know it. You are talented and insightful and you know exactly what will be trending before it is." Blaine thought for a minute. "Wait…you said a children's line. Since when do you design children's clothes?"

Kurt turned bashful for a minute. "I guess I never told you this but do you remember when we were in Ohio and took Carly out to lunch?"

Blaine remembered that day vividly. They had slept together after dropping Carly off with Trevor and Blaine had woken up to find Kurt gone and a note left in his place. It was not the happiest of memories. "I remember."

Kurt picked up on Blaine's tone and took his face in his hands and kissed him deeply. "Blaine, I will forever be sorry for walking out and leaving a note behind. I hate that I did that. But I'm here now and we're together and I'm never leaving you again."

Blaine looked at him with more love than he thought was possible. "I know and I forgive you. It' ok, really. Now, enough about sad memories. What does taking Carly out to lunch have to do with you designing children's clothing?"

"Well, she's one of the most adorable kids I've ever seen but there's never really too much emphasis put on fashion for kids. When I got back to New York, I started working on my portfolio in preparation for my big meeting and without even realizing I was doing it, I had designed about half a dozen sketches for children. I knew that The House of Rosaline Spencer didn't have a children's line but for some reason my gut was telling me to keep it in the portfolio, so I did."

"Did she say anything about it at the time?" Blaine asked.

"She asked about them and I told her just what I told you. I guess she liked what she saw."

Blaine shook his head in disbelief. "That is so amazing, baby. Carly, huh?"

Kurt smiled. "Yeah well…there was always this part of me that when I pictured my own kids they always kind of looked like you. Now when we do eventually have kids, we know they'll be the best dressed kids in all of New York City."

Blaine's heart swelled. He was so proud of Kurt. And, this big promotion couldn't have happened on a better day. This would be a day that Kurt would never forget. Blaine kissed him again. "Well now we have something to celebrate – instead of using tonight as just a night to entertain Landry with our duet at Bleakers."

"Shit! I forgot all about going to Bleakers tonight."

A small panic washed over Blaine. They had to go to Bleakers tonight. "Well, there's no getting out of it mister. I promised Landry we'd go. Plus, we've got a song to sing."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Ok, we'll go. Now when are you going to tell me about this song?"

* * *

Kurt and Blaine arrived at Bleakers just as open mic night was really heating up. Landry nearly screeched at them when they walked in. Kurt found it cute. Landry was a little childlike but he was a really friendly guy and seemed to just really love life…that's how Blaine had described him anyway. They joined the group and ordered some drinks.

After about 30 minutes Landry turned to Blaine. "So, when are you going to sing? You did sign up when you first got here right?"

Blaine laughed. "Yes, Landry. I signed up but I'm not going to sing alone. Kurt will be doing a duet with me."

Landry looked over at Kurt who was striking up a conversation with Noah Rhoades. "Can the twink sing?"

Blaine side-eyed Landry. "First of all, don't call him a twink. And secondly, yes. He can sign. The year my glee club won nationals? He was a part of it. He's actually a countertenor, which in the singing world is quite rare."

Landry raised his hands in mock surrender. "Ok, no disrespect meant. It's just that I'm tired of hearing bad singers at this place. I need some talent man!"

At that moment, the emcee for the night called the next performers. "Ladies and gentlemen, next up are Blaine Anderson and Kurt Hummel. Give them a warm welcome to the stage."

As they made their way up to the stage among the sound of applause, Kurt whispered in Blaine's ear. "Thanks for giving me a little time to prepare. This is the perfect song though."

Once on stage, Blaine sat down at the piano while Kurt sat on a stool next to the piano. "Good evening guys! I'm Blaine and this is my boyfriend Kurt and we're going to sing something that holds a lot of meaning for us. Now, it's a bit of a slow song so feel free to grab your boyfriend or girlfriend and dance along with us."

Blaine smiled and winked at Kurt and then began playing:

_**Blaine singing**_

_Somethin' in your eyes, makes me wanna lose myself_  
Makes me wanna lose myself, in your arms  
There's somethin' in your voice, makes my heart beat fast  
Hope this feeling lasts, the rest of my life

If you knew how lonely my life has been  
And how long I've been so alone  
And if you knew how I wanted someone to come along  
And change my life the way you've done

It feels like home to me, it feels like home to me  
It feels like I'm all the way back where I come from  
It feels like home to me, it feels like home to me  
It feels like I'm all the way back where I belong

 _**Kurt singing**_  
A window breaks, down a long, dark street  
And a siren wails in the night  
But I'm alright, 'cause I have you here with me  
And I can almost see, through the dark there is light

Well, if you knew how much this moment means to me  
And how long I've waited for your touch  
And if you knew how happy you are making me  
I never thought that I'd love anyone so much

It feels like home to me, it feels like home to me  
It feels like I'm all the way the back where I come from  
It feels like home to me, it feels like home to me  
It feels like I'm all the way back where I belong  
It feels like I'm all the way back where I belong

_**Both singing**_

_It feels like home to me, it feels like home to me_  
It feels like I'm all the way the back where I come from  
It feels like home to me, it feels like home to me  
It feels like I'm all the way back where I belong  
It feels like I'm all the way back where I belong

The room erupted in applause after they finished singing. Kurt could even see a few women wiping tears out their eyes. Blaine got up from the piano and walked over and kissed Kurt before taking his hand and walking back to their table.

Landry slapped Blaine on the back. "Damn man! You really know how to hit those emotional spots and yes, that boyfriend of yours sure can sing!"

Blaine laughed. "Thanks man." Then he checked his watch. He was pleased to see that everything was still right on time.

Twenty minutes and another round of drinks later, Kurt's cell phone rang. Rachel popped up on his caller ID. He motioned to Blaine that he was going to step outside to answer it so he could hear better. "Hello? Rachel?"

"Kurt? I hope you're not busy. I need you to come over to my place."

"Rachel, I'm out with Blaine. Can whatever this is wait until tomorrow?"

"Well not really. The reason I need you to stop by is because I'm locked out and you're the only other person in the city that has keys to my apartment."

Kurt sighed. He didn't want to leave. He was actually having a good time with Blaine's co-workers. But, he couldn't leave Rachel stranded. "Ok, I'll be right there."

Kurt hung up and went back inside. Blaine wrapped one arm around Kurt's waist. "Everything ok with Rachel?"

Kurt kissed Blaine on the cheek. "No. She's locked out of her apartment and seeing as I'm the only other person with keys, I have to go open it for her."

Blaine tried to keep his cool. "Doesn't the super of the building have keys?"

"I don't know. I didn't ask if she contacted him. Regardless, I can't leave her stranded. I won't be gone too long. Stay here and I'll be back as soon as I can."

Blaine grabbed Kurt's hand before he could run off. "Actually, why don't you meet me back at our new place?"

Kurt looked confused. "Really? Why? We can't sleep there tonight since we're not moving the furniture in until tomorrow."

"I know but I thought it might be nice to check out the view at night. And it's a beautiful night tonight. We won't stay any longer than you want to, ok?"

"Alright…I'll see you there." Kurt went to walk away and then turned back around. "I won't be gone long so don't get stuck here drinking."

Blaine smiled. "Ok, ok…I'll be there when you get there. I promise." Little did Kurt know that Blaine walked out of Bleakers seconds behind him and got to the Beaumont in record time. He hoped Rachel would stall Kurt for a little bit.

* * *

Kurt found Rachel leaning up against her front door. She jumped up and hugged Kurt when she saw him round the corner. "Oh thank God. I'm such an idiot. I can't believe I walked out this morning without my keys."

Kurt sighed. "Yeah, me either."

Rachel picked up on Kurt's annoyed tone and smiled inside. "I know I interrupted your evening with Blaine but it couldn't be helped."

"Uh yes, actually it could have been helped Rachel. You could have remembered your keys this morning." Kurt had the door opened and motioned for Rachel to enter. "On that note, I'll see you later."

"Kurt! Wait!" Rachel knew she was supposed to stall Kurt for as long as she could. "I need to talk to you about something."

"Rachel, I love you but…what part of 'you interrupted my evening with Blaine' do you not understand?" Kurt turned to leave.

"I've been offered a part in a play that requires me to be nude!" Rachel blurted out.

Kurt stopped dead in his tracks and slowly turned around. "Excuse me?"

* * *

Kurt had not planned on being at Rachel's for that long. He hoped Blaine wasn't angry. But when Rachel told him she was considering taking on a nude role, Kurt could not just walk out. Thankfully, he was able to talk Rachel out of it. No role in an off-Broadway play was worthy of nudity in Kurt's opinion.

He stopped just outside the Beaumont. It really was a beautiful building. He and Blaine were so lucky to be able to live here. He wasn't looking forward to the hard work that would come tomorrow with moving their furniture in, but he was really excited to be able to finally sleep in their new place. He walked in and took the elevator up to the 10th floor. He stopped just outside their front door. The Smith's name was still listed. They would have to change that. But to what? Hummel-Anderson? Anderson-Hummel? He guessed that was something they'd have to talk about.

As soon as he opened the front door he lost all ability to breath. Their incredibly spacious living room was no longer empty. Instead, hundreds of lit candles were placed all over the floor. Soft music was playing in the background and hanging from the ceiling were strands of Christmas lights that weren't Christmas lights but were kind of Christmas lights. Once he took a good look at the place, he could see that the candles were illuminating a path for him.

Kurt walked along the candle lit path into the master bedroom suite. He opened the french double doors and if he thought it was hard to breath before, he was wrong. Again, candles were all over the room but what caught his eye immediately was the king sized bed that was up against the wall, directly across from the large floor to ceiling windows that allowed for the perfect view of New York. Roses were strategically placed throughout the room as well with rose petals on the bed. Finally, after all of this, he laid eyes on Blaine. He audibly gasped for air.

Blaine. He was standing in the center of the room, dressed in one of his best looking suits. He had a smile on his face and there was a nervous energy surrounding him. He didn't move and Kurt knew that meant he was to go to him. Kurt slowly walked over and once standing face to face with Blaine, he felt Blaine reach down and grab his hands.

Blaine took Kurt's hands in his and tenderly kissed them. "Kurt. You are the love of my life. No one has ever made me feel the way that you do and I know that no one ever will. Your passion helps drive me forward and your strength amazes me every single day. I know our lives have not always been sunshine and rainbows and I know that even more challenges lie ahead of us. But I know that together we can get through anything. And I will be here for you. When you feel like being quiet, when you need to speak your mind I will listen. And I will be here, when the laughter turns to crying. Through the winning, losing, and trying, we'll be together because I will be here. When the mirror tells us we're older I will hold you. And I will be here, to watch you grow in beauty and tell you all the things you are to me. You are my world, my life and I want to love you every day for the rest of my life and I want to feel your love in return. If you'll let me, I promise I will love you with every ounce of my being. I promise I will never lie to you. I will never intentionally break your heart, but instead I'll hold in inside of mine. I will never ask anything of you – except for one thing. All I want is your love in return. Baby, you are my past, my present and my future. You are my home. So, Kurt Elizabeth Hummel…will you marry me?"

Kurt was freely crying. He'd begun the second he saw Blaine in his suit. Blaine had gotten down on one knee right at the end of his speech and had opened a jewelry box that contained the most gorgeous platinum band he'd ever lay eyes on. There were three diamonds inside the band that Kurt instinctively knew represented their past, present and future. He looked back in Blaine's eyes and saw some nervousness again. Then he realized that he hadn't given an answer. He nodded his head. "Yes!  
Yes, I'll marry you, Blaine! One thousand times yes!"

Blaine jumped up and pulled Kurt into his arms and swung him around. Then he kissed him with more passion than he ever had. He pulled the ring out of the box and slid it onto Kurt's finger. It was a perfect fit thanks to stealing a pair of Kurt's designer gloves.

Once the disbelief worn off, Kurt looked around the room, then back at Blaine. "How did you do all of this? I mean, the candles, the flowers, the bed. The bed! That is the bed I fell in love with when we were window shopping last week. How did you remember that and even more importantly, how did you get it here?"

Blaine laughed. "Well, I bought the bed the day after you fell in love with it. They agreed to hold it for me until we had a place to move it to and then I played hooky from work today and had them deliver it. I also set up the candles and roses. You can thank Rachel for the little diversion this evening. She managed to stall you so I could rush back here and light the candles and change into my suit."

"So Rachel wasn't really locked out of her apartment?" Kurt thought back. "And she really wasn't offered a nude role?"

Blaine laughed. "A nude role? I don't know about that. All I told her to do was stall you. And before you ask, I had a lengthy conversation with your Dad today…you know, I asked for his blessing which he gave freely." Blaine motioned to the bed. "I knew as soon as we saw this place the first time that I wanted to propose to you here and the idea to do it while it was empty, yet surrounded by candles sounded so romantic. But I knew that as soon as you said yes, we wouldn't want to leave this room so I had to make sure that the only – and most important – piece of furniture was here."

Kurt smiled and leaned in and kissed Blaine. "I really am the luckiest man alive. I can't believe I get to spend the rest of my life loving you and having you love me in return. This really has been the best day of my life. And no, it's not because I received the biggest promotion of my career so far. It's because I received you. You. You are the love of my life too, Blaine. You are my home. I look forward to growing fabulously old together."

They began kissing again and slowly made their way over to the bed. Kurt reached down to untie Blaine's tie. He broke away from the kiss and looked Blaine deeply in the eyes. "You do realize that I will be in charge of the wedding planning, right?" He then winked at Blaine.

"Yes, dear." Blaine laughed before they both toppled into bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! They're engaged! I hope no one is disappointed that I didn't include Blaine talking to Burt. I thought about adding it but I figured it would give Blaine's surprise away (although I guess most of you probably knew anyway).
> 
> The song they sang is called "Feels Like Home" by CHANTAL KREVIAZUK.
> 
> I must confess that some of Blaine's proposal speech included some lyrics from a song called "I will be here" by Steven Curtis Chapman. It's a really beautiful love song but I didn't want Blaine to sing to him so I wrote it this way instead.
> 
> Next up: Some engagement smut, moving day and Kurt has a surprise of his own for Blaine.
> 
> I'm thinking one more chapter plus an epilogue...I have it pretty much written, it's just a matter of how I want to break things up...
> 
> See y'all next weekend! :)


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So after the last chapter I teased some engagement smut along with moving day and a surprise from Kurt but I've decided to break it up and just have this chapter be sweet and loving, so I apologize for this chapter being short.
> 
> Warning: Smut - nothing but smut. Seriously - nothing but smut...if it's not your thing then feel free to skip this one, you won't miss any plot points. But you're reading an Explicit rated fic for a reason right? ;)
> 
> Mistakes are all mine.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Kurt continued to untie Blaine's tie slowly, seductively. Their eyes were locked together, burning with love for one another. They both knew that right now, in this moment, they had never loved each other more. Once Kurt had pulled Blaine's tie off, he slowly unbuttoned his dress shirt – one button at a time. Blaine never moved; he simply allowed Kurt to undress him. Once all of the buttons had been undone, Kurt gently slid the shirt off of Blaine's shoulders, caressing him as he did. Blaine felt Kurt's fingers ghost over his skin as his shirt fell off, leaving goose bumps behind. His skin felt like it was tingling and on fire at the same time.

Once Blaine's dress shirt had been removed, Kurt semi-frowned at the undershirt Blaine was wearing. He slowly traced his fingers down Blaine's chest until they reached the hem of the undershirt. He then raised the shirt over Blaine's head. As soon as the shirt was gone, Kurt leaned in and placed his lips on Blaine's. Once their lips were connected, Kurt guided Blaine so he was lying on his back, Kurt straddling him.

Their kissing was sweet and soft. Their tongues danced together as if they were doing the waltz, perfectly in time with each other. They kissed lazily for a while…just reveling in the perfect moment they were sharing. Kurt's lips left Blaine's and traveled up to kiss him on the tip of his nose, then he kissed each closed eyelid before moving over to his ear. Kurt licked the inside of his ear and then lightly bit on his earlobe. This caused a soft moan to escape from Blaine's lips – the first audible sound other than the increase of their breathing.

Both of their cocks were achingly hard and Kurt nibbling on Blaine's ear only reminded Blaine of how hard and neglected his cock felt. On instinct, and looking for friction, he bucked his hips up into Kurt's. Kurt broke away from his gentle assault on Blaine's ear and locked eyes with him once again, smiling.

Blaine returned the smile. "God, baby. I love you so much."

"I love you too." Kurt replied before removing his hands from Blaine's chest to begin the process of unbuttoning his own shirt.

Blaine reached and removed Kurt's hands, replacing them with his own. "Please, allow me."

As Blaine began removing Kurt's shirt, one button at a time, Kurt bucked his hips down into Blaine, moaning as he did. This was Kurt's silent way of telling Blaine to hurry the process along. Kurt knew this was supposed to be slow, gentle and reverent – having just gotten engaged and all. But Kurt was never very patient when it came to sex. Once his juices got flowing, he wasn't the biggest fan of foreplay.

Blaine took the silent hint and pushed Kurt's shirt off of his shoulders, thankful that he was not wearing an undershirt. The soft glow of lighting that the candles provided illuminated Kurt's skin and Blaine wasn't sure he'd ever seen anything so beautiful. He leaned his head up off of the pillows and captured Kurt's lips with his own once more.

They somehow found themselves sitting up, Kurt sitting on Blaine's lap facing him, with his legs wrapped around him. Continuing the kissing, Kurt reached down and began unbuttoning Blaine's pants. Once his pants were unbuttoned and unzipped, Kurt backed off of Blaine's lap and Blaine lay back on the bed once more. Kurt, without ever losing eye contact with Blaine, slid his pants off of his toned legs. He then broke the eye contact and began kissing his way up Blaine's legs until he reached Blaine's cock – still restricted by his boxers but hard as a rock. Kurt mouthed over it before hooking his fingers on the waistband of his boxers and gently tugging them down – Blaine lifting his hips ever so slightly to allow for easy removal. As soon as the boxers were gone, Kurt didn't waste any more time. He sunk his mouth around Blaine in one swift motion.

"Shit, baby! You feel so good! Oh God!" Blaine was struggling to keep from bucking his hips up into Kurt's mouth. Kurt was already a professional at deep throating and Blaine didn't want to run the risk of choking him.

Kurt continued with his perfect motion of sliding up and down Blaine's cock, moaning while doing so. He knew that drove Blaine wild and he was right…Blaine was thrashing his head from one side to the other, moaning and trying to form coherent words. Kurt then pulled off and licked the underside of his cock before tugging lightly on his balls. He continued this for a moment or two before deep throating Blaine again. Then, without warning, Kurt licked lightly at Blaine's entrance before softly pushing his tongue in.

"Holy Fuck!" Blaine screamed. They had never rimmed before but holy hell that felt good.

Kurt knew from Blaine's exclamation that he had enjoyed that. Kurt decided to try that on a whim and he was glad that Blaine enjoyed it because Kurt enjoyed doing it to him. He continued to lick him open with his tongue, using his saliva as lube, while still jerking him off with one of his hands.

Blaine was feeling overwhelmed by his senses. It was almost too much – the feeling of Kurt's hand jerking him off while his tongue was slowly working him as open as possible. Suddenly Kurt's tongue was gone and Blaine felt a finger slowly being pushed in. "Ugh, Kurt." That was all Blaine could manage to say. Intelligent words were escaping his mind at the moment because while Kurt was beginning to scissor him open with his fingers, he had returned his mouth to Blaine's cock.

Kurt loved watching Blaine come undone by his actions. He felt an overwhelming sense of love wash over him when he suddenly realized that no other person on this planet would ever see Blaine like this. For the rest of their lives, Blaine would only ever come undone by Kurt and Kurt would only ever come undone by Blaine. Kurt was the only person that would ever get to worship Blaine's body from now on. That was such a powerful thought that Kurt had stopped his actions without realizing it.

"Kurt? What's wrong?" Blaine had lifted his head up and was looking at Kurt – concerned.

Kurt locked eyes with Blaine. "Nothing. It just hit me how much I love you."

Blaine's eyes began to water. "Aw, baby. I love you too – so much."

Kurt crawled up Blaine's body and kissed him deeply. Then, he replied with a flirty tone, "and it dawned on me that for the rest of our lives, I'm the only person that will ever be able to do this to you." Kurt then scrambled back down Blaine's body and resumed his actions.

Before Kurt's actions became too much for Blaine, he was able laugh before saying, "Fuck, Kurt. Only you could use your mouth to say something so sweet and loving and then turn around and use it to…FUCK!" Blaine couldn't get out another word because Kurt had found that sweet spot within Blaine and now he had turned into a pile of jello.

Kurt smiled around Blaine's cock as he inserted a third and fourth finger inside his hole – hitting that delicious spot each time. It was then that Kurt realized that he still had his pants on, and they were achingly tight. He pulled off of Blaine and began to unbutton his pants when Blaine sat up and pulled Kurt's hands away.

"Oh no you don't, lover." Blaine then shifted so Kurt was lying down and Blaine was straddling him. He kissed Kurt deeply before moving down Kurt's chest with his tongue. Kurt's body responded with its own set of goose bumps. Blaine reached that perfect spot on Kurt's body – the spot that made the "V" on his hips. He licked the crevice with his tongue before opening Kurt's pants and peeling them off of his long, lean legs. Blaine didn't want to waste time with teasing – as he was already stretched open and ready to feel Kurt's cock deep inside of him.

"Oh God, Blaine! I know we're being all sweet and loving since you just proposed to me and all but if you don't hurry up I might die from blue balls!" Kurt said what Blaine was already feeling.

Blaine chuckled before taking all of Kurt in his mouth in one fell swoop.

"Fuck, yes!" Kurt yelped.

Blaine knew that he just needed to get Kurt close to the edge before stopping. He moved up and down Kurt's shaft, moaning all the while. He then repeated Kurt's actions from earlier – stroking Kurt with one hand while sucking lightly on Kurt's balls. He wanted desperately to try rimming Kurt like he'd done to him but he knew that would have to wait for another day.

"Oh shit, Blaine! I'm close, I'm close! You've got to stop before…" Kurt was silenced by Blaine pulling off.

They switched places so Blaine was lying on his back. Kurt pulled the lube out from under the pillow (Blaine had been prepared when he set up his proposal surprise). Kurt was glad they had decided to stop using condoms. He understood their importance – he had always used them before. But now that he knew both of them were clean and healthy, Kurt never wanted anything to separate them from being as close as humanly possible. He quickly lubed up his cock and slowly, almost torturously slow, pushed inside.

"Fuck, Blaine. You're so tight. Shit!" Kurt slid in until he was balls deep.

Blaine's scrunched up face indicated that he was still adjusting to the new stretch. This was where Kurt was always patient during sex. He never wanted to hurt Blaine. They were so in sync with each other that Kurt would know exactly when it was safe to begin moving simply by the change in his facial expression. And there it was. Kurt slowly began sliding in and out. Blaine opened his eyes and they stared at each other. They both knew that the missionary position was considered boring and stagnant for some – and they both agreed that was the case when they were fucking each other (and let's face it, all couples need to just fuck each other, raw and animalistic, at times) – but when they were making love, when it was all about being sweet and gentle and really being in tune with each other, they both loved missionary because it allowed them to look deep in each other's eyes. Plus, there was something about making out while making love that turned both of them on.

Blaine shifted his hips ever so slightly until, "YES!" Blaine exclaimed that a little louder than he intended with Kurt's face being in such close proximity. He reached his head up and kissed Kurt passionately as an apology.

They had quickly established a rhythm and Kurt was hitting the perfect spot with each and every thrust. They both knew they wouldn't last much longer. The heat from the candles in the room added to the sweat glistening their bodies as they continued to move as one. The room was silent except for the sounds of their heavy breathing whenever the need for air required them to break away from kissing – well that, and the soft music Blaine had playing when Kurt first entered their apartment. As soon as they took a deep breath, they returned to kissing, tongues dancing in time with Kurt's thrusts.

A short time later Kurt pulled his lips away from Blaine's and looked him in the eye. "Oh God, Blaine. I love you, I love you, I love you." Kurt repeated the mantra of 'I love you' as he came deep inside of Blaine.

Blaine felt Kurt convulse inside of him and looked him in the eyes as Kurt repeated over and over again that he loved him. Just as soon as Kurt finished spilling inside of Blaine, Blaine followed. "Oh, baby! I love you, I love you, I love you." Blaine repeated the same mantra as he came all over his stomach.

They lie motionless for a minute or two, Kurt growing soft inside of Blaine. Yes, both Kurt and Blaine enjoyed fucking each other senseless when they felt spontaneous and adventurous. They were uninhibited and allowed themselves to be loud and shout curse words. They allowed themselves to pull hair and scratch each other's backs and leave hickeys and bite marks. They allowed themselves to surprise the other with a random move here and there. But there was something to be said when they were making love. In those moments, they were soft and quiet. They were 100% in tune with each other. They weren't shouting curse words – although one slipped out every now and then – but they were saying 'I love you' to one another. They were looking each other in the eye and kissing, which they both felt was a significantly intimate act. And although neither one would, or could, admit whether physically they favored love making over fucking, they both knew inside that making love was when they felt the closest to each other. That was why neither felt the need to pull out immediately.

Finally, Kurt pulled out and slowly got out of bed and walked into the master bathroom. Kurt laughed to himself when he realized that Blaine had, in fact, prepared for their post sex clean-up. He ran a washcloth under the warm water and returned to the bed. Blaine smiled lovingly at Kurt as he gently wiped him clean and then he wiped himself clean before returning the washcloth to the bathroom and crawling back into bed with Blaine, snuggling up behind him, becoming the big spoon.

Blaine loved the feeling of Kurt's body next to his when he would crawl in and spoon with him. He reached around and laced his fingers with Kurt's. His face lit up when he saw Kurt's ring shining in the candlelight. He pulled Kurt's ringed finger to his lips and placed a gentle kiss on it.

Kurt smiled behind him. "I really do love it, Blaine. It's perfect…really. I wouldn't have picked anything else out."

"I'm glad, baby." Blaine then remembered something else. "Oh, it's engraved too." Blaine shifted in Kurt's arms so he was facing him.

Kurt pulled the ring off of his finger and held it up so some of the candlelight would illuminate the ring. _K+B Forever & Always._Kurt had tears in his eyes. He didn't know what to say.

Blaine leaned in and kissed him. "Don't worry. I know." They simply stared at each other for another minute or two before Blaine leaned in and kissed Kurt on the tip of his nose. "Now, rest up. We've got a busy day ahead of us tomorrow. Moving day! And, before you ask…I packed a bag for you with a change of clothes and all of your morning moisturizing products." Blaine saw Kurt smile back at him. "See? I thought of everything."

Kurt felt Blaine's body settle into his and before long his breathing evened out. Kurt knew Blaine had fallen asleep. He kissed the top of Blaine's head before whispering, "You haven't thought of quite everything, Blaine Anderson." Kurt smiled and then fell into a peaceful sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, I hope shortening it up and having nothing but smut was ok with everyone... Blaine is going to talk to his parents in the next chapter and I just didn't want to have that issue included in along with this sweetness.
> 
> Next up: Moving day, Kurt's surprise and Blaine speaks with his parents. It will also be the last chapter before the epilogue.
> 
> See y'all next weekend!


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, here you guys go! Blaine chats with his parents and as you'll suspect, it doesn't go well. :(
> 
> Mistakes are all mine.
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Good grief, Kurt didn't realize how right Blaine was when he'd warned him last night that they had a busy day ahead of them. Moving day really sucked in Kurt's opinion. Plus, the lack of sleep Kurt was operating on was threatening to shorten his temper. They'd been asleep for an hour or two when Kurt woke up in a sweat due to the candles. Kurt freaked out about possibly burning down not only their apartment but their entire building so he shook Blaine until he was awake and then they both systematically blew out each and every candle Blaine had lit. And yes, he had lit hundreds. Blaine thought it was amusing that it seemed to take longer to blow out each candle between the two of them than it had taken him to light them alone…of course that was partly due to the fact that they found themselves so wrapped up in each other and they ended up making love again on the living room floor before they had blown out those candles.

Yes, Kurt was happy to be moving furniture into their new apartment and first thing this morning they had arranged to take a trip back to Westerville in two weeks to retrieve Blaine's furniture from his apartment there. Finally severing ties with his apartment back in Ohio was the last little piece connecting him there. He was glad to be leaving it behind permanently. Yes, Blaine would miss his mother and she would always be invited to visit them in New York anytime she wanted but he had no intentions of ever going back to see his father…not anytime soon anyway. Blaine had not spoken to his father since he quit his job and that was completely fine by him. Maybe now that he was engaged, he could at the very least contact his mother.

"Blaine? Where did you go, sweetie?" Kurt's voice pulled Blaine out of his thoughts.

Blaine shook his head. "Nowhere, babe. Sorry. What's up?"

Kurt fidgeted nervously. "Uh, I need to run an errand. Will you be ok here if I leave for a bit?"

Blaine narrowed his eyes. "Oh no you don't! You're not skipping out on the heavy lifting, mister. Besides, don't think I haven't noticed how many breaks you've already taken with all of your phone calls."

Kurt walked over until he was so close to Blaine their noses were almost touching. "I promise I won't be gone long and if you want, take a nap on that beautiful bed of ours until I get back." Kurt closed the tiny distance and kissed Blaine so deeply that it took both of their breaths away. Kurt sighed as he pulled back. "Something to remember until I get back." he whispered before sashaying out the door.

Blaine barely had time to catch his breath before Kurt walked out.

Blaine decided it would be the perfect time to call his mom. He was nervous. He hadn't spoken to her since he found out that his father had told her he was simply on vacation. He was not looking forward to making this phone call. Even though his mom wasn't totally comfortable with him being gay, at least she was more supportive than his father and at least she tried to understand and be sympathetic.

He dialed her cell phone and after three rings she picked up. "Hi, sweetie."

"Hi, Mom. How are you?" He thought it was a little odd that she answered as if she'd spoken to him just yesterday.

She sighed. "Oh, the usual for this time of year. I'm organizing the annual charity drive at the Country Club. Speaking of which, you know every year your father's firm makes their annual donation. Now I know you're in New York right now but do you think you'd be willing to make a donation?"

Now it was Blaine's turn to sigh. On one hand he was glad that his mother was able to carry on with a normal conversation, completely ignoring the family politics, but on the other hand, this was the reason he always felt the slightest bit of disappointment towards his mother – that she did always ignore the issues going on within the family.

Suzanne Anderson picked up on her son's sigh. "Sweetie, I don't want you to feel obligated to donate and since your father renamed the firm I won't even tie your donation to the firm if you don't want me to. It could be anonymous, if you'd prefer."

"Wait, what? He renamed the firm?" Blaine honestly didn't know what to think. Sure, he hadn't spoken to his father since he quit but he was surprised that he hadn't heard about this before.

"Oh dear, Blaine. I thought you knew." There was a nervousness in her voice.

"Uh, no Mom. I didn't know." He paused for a beat, then… "What did he rename it to?"

She was hesitant. "Well you know how he has always relied on Doug Speagle. After you left, he felt like it was time he gave him his due."

Blaine laughed, actually laughed. He wasn't surprised at all. "You're telling me that he renamed the firm to Anderson & Speagle?"

"He did, Blaine. It was a quiet transition – no press or anything like that. I just thought he would have mentioned it." Now she was becoming increasingly uncomfortable with this conversation. She really did hate the family drama. "Anyway, like I said, I could make your donation anonymous if you'd like."

Blaine gently shook his head. He knew that his mother was finished with this part of the conversation. "Yeah, sure Mom. I'll give you a donation when Kurt and I come back to town so I can move out of my apartment in a couple of weeks." He paused, giving his mother a chance to respond. When she didn't, he continued. "Speaking of Kurt, I have news."

"Oh?"

Blaine sighed again. He could tell that his mother probably didn't want the conversation to venture down this road either but he didn't care. This was his life now. Kurt was his life now. He decided to just say it – like ripping off a band aid. "Kurt and I are engaged, Mom. We're getting married. We haven't set a date or anything like that, it just happened last night, but we would love it if you could come to our wedding."

Blaine heard papers shuffling in the background. Then he heard the clicking of her high heels on the hardwood floors of the Anderson home. Finally she spoke in a hushed tone. "Blaine, I'm happy for you and Kurt. Really, I am. I'm your mother and all I want is for my children to be happy."

"We are, Mom. We really are happy." He smiled as he said this because he truly was the happiest he'd ever been in his entire life.

"And that's music to a mother's ears. But, you know how your father feels about this. I just don't know if I'd be able to attend the wedding."

As soon as the word 'wedding' was out of his Mom's mouth, he heard his father in the background. "Wedding? Who's getting married? Is that Cooper? Here, give me the phone." Before his mother could protest, Blaine's father had taken the phone from her. "Cooper, you finally decide to make an honest woman of that girlfriend of yours?"

Blaine's stomach had turned into knots but he couldn't hang up. "Sorry to disappoint you, Dad, but it's your other son."

"Blaine? What the fuck?" The slight playfulness of his tone had completely disappeared and disgust and venom turned up in its place. "You have no right to call your mother after you disowned your family and ran out on the family business."

Blaine slightly chuckled at his father's memory lapse. He only quit after he refused to give Blaine a few days off. Looking back, he was extremely grateful for the way things turned out and even though Blaine never knew why as he should be used to it by now, he was always astounded at his father making everything his fault. "From what I hear, you didn't have a hard time replacing me."

"No, I didn't. Doug Speagle is more of a son to me than you ever were. At least he knows the proper way to live his life. He knows that men are supposed to love women – not other men. Now, you should know better than to contact your mother and just upset her."

"Actually, I wasn't calling to upset her, Dad. I was calling to share my good news with her. Kurt and I got engaged last night. Yep, we're getting married and there isn't a fucking thing you can do about it. I'm actually glad you took the phone from her. I'd like to thank you for giving me reason to quit because Kurt and I are more in love than ever and I landed a job at one of the top law firms in Manhattan and I'm the reason Kurt's attackers are going to jail." Blaine was pissed. How dare his father? How _dare_ him?

"You know what, Blaine? I heard about your job in New York. And it made me sad." His father's tone changed a bit – softened some. "It made me sad because for a split second I felt the pride that a father should feel for his son when he finds success but then I remembered that success came off of you defending your little gay…friend. And that pride went away. And now I feel nothing. You know that Blaine? I feel nothing towards you. You're not an Anderson to me anymore."

That made Blaine sad. At least when his father was angry at him that meant he felt something. But the opposite of love isn't hate. No, it's apathy. Love and hate both have very strong feelings attached, but apathy? No, there's nothing there with apathy. "I'm sorry that's how you feel, or don't feel, rather. Kurt isn't just my gay friend. He's my husband-to-be. And I'm sorry that you can't understand that love is love and that it's about falling in love with the person and not the gender. And I'm sorry that you will never get to know Kurt and see what a beautiful and generous and loving person he is. And I'm sorry that you'll miss out on a beautiful wedding between two people that love each other. And I'm sorry that you'll miss out on getting to know and fall in love with your future grandchildren. And mostly, I'm not sorry for me but I'm sorry that you're breaking my mother's heart by disowning me." With that, Blaine hung up the phone – there was nothing more he had to say.

Blaine sat with his head in his hands for quite a while after hanging up. He knew he would need to make peace with his mother soon. He loved her and while he couldn't understand why she put up with his father's constant intolerance, she was still his mother. He would call her again later because despite everything, he still wanted his Mom in his life.

He allowed himself a pity party for about fifteen minutes. Then he stood up and looked around. He was standing in his brand new apartment that he shared with his perfect fiancé and he was not going to allow this day to be ruined by his asshole of a father. He would tell Kurt about his conversation with his father later, but not today. Today was going to be about happiness and joy and the start of their wonderful life together.

He took another look around the living room at the furniture that was haphazardly scattered about and had an idea.

* * *

Kurt really hadn't planned on being gone that long. The errand he had to run had taken longer than he thought due to some unforeseen problems. He was afraid Blaine would be angry. Sure, he told Blaine to take a nap while he was gone but he knew that that was not in Blaine's nature. He felt like he should bring a peace offering. He realized that they hadn't eaten since a small breakfast of bagels when they'd first woken up this morning so he swung into a deli and picked up a chicken caesar wrap for Blaine and an organic salad for himself. He quietly opened up the door and peaked his head in to see if Blaine was waiting for him…daggers in hand. What he saw surprised him.

Kurt pushed the door the rest of the way open and marveled at the magic Blaine had created. No, they didn't have a lot of furniture and yes, it was cheaper than Kurt would like to have in his brand new, expensive apartment but Blaine had created a vision. He had arranged the furniture in the living room in such a beautiful way that it really did feel like home. Kurt had to admit he was impressed. Sometimes leaving Blaine alone to his own fashion or creative devices was a scary thought (except when it came to music) but he really had done something wonderful with what he had to work with. It really looked like a home.

Kurt placed the food on the island in the kitchen and then went off to find Blaine. It was awfully quiet and he didn't want to call out for Blaine in case he was sleeping. He tiptoed into the bedroom and found Blaine cuddled up on the bed, fast asleep. Kurt's heart swelled at the sight. He really truly was in love with that man.

Kurt walked over to the bed and leaned down and kissed Blaine lightly on the lips. He stirred slowly and opened his eyes. When he saw Kurt standing there, he smiled brightly. He rubbed his eyes before saying "You said you wouldn't be gone long." Kurt knew he wasn't angry by the pouting tone in his voice.

"Well if I continue to come home to your little surprises, I'll make sure to stay gone for hours on end every time I leave. Really, Blaine…the living room looks amazing."

Blaine smiled and sat up in bed. "Well if you keep staying gone for long periods of time, I'll stop with the surprises."

"I'm sorry I was gone for so long. But I did bring a peace offering. Are you hungry?"

Blaine groaned and rubbed his stomach. "Duh! When am I not hungry?"

* * *

They spent the rest of the day emptying out Kurt's apartment and moving all of the furniture into their new apartment. Kurt had never been so happy to return his keys to his landlord and when they got back to their new place Blaine jokingly tried to pick Kurt up and carry him across the threshold, which Kurt adamantly refused to participate in because that would have to wait until their actual wedding night.

Kurt took a look around the place. They really had done a great job of making the place look homey despite the lack of furniture. Obviously the new apartment needed quite a bit more than small amount that Kurt's tiny one bedroom apartment held. Throughout the day Kurt had been making a list. First on the list was an itemized account of the furniture that Blaine had in his apartment in Westerville that they would be retrieving in two weeks. Next on the list were all of the furniture items that served more as a wish list for Kurt. He knew that once they combined Blaine's furniture with what they already had, they would have enough for their place to be more than passable. But Kurt also knew that nothing would match. He was looking forward to decorating their place in the most beautiful way…fashion was in his blood, he couldn't help himself.

Blaine saw Kurt's little list several times during the day but he never said a word about it. He had wondered why Kurt was asking for explicit details about Blaine's furniture from Ohio. Once he saw the list, he understood. He shook his head to himself and had ignored it throughout the day but now, over a dinner of takeout Thai, he decided to bring it up. "Hey babe? That list you've been making all day? What's that about?"

Kurt looked up from his food. "Oh nothing. It's just that it sounds like your furniture won't exactly _go_ with mine and so one of these days I'd like to be able to decorate this place from top to bottom. You know…complete makeover."

Blaine just looked at him. No words were needed.

Kurt sighed. "Look Blaine, I know that isn't an option anytime soon but I can still dream right? I mean, I don't want to live my life in this gorgeous apartment, with my gorgeous husband, with furniture that came in a box and I had to put together."

Blaine's heart nearly exploded when Kurt referred to him as his husband. He reached over and grabbed his hand. "Neither do I, baby. But if you want the wedding of your dreams then the decorating will have to wait."

"Oh, trust me. I know. But there was one thing wrong with the statement you just made. I don't want the wedding of my dreams. I want the wedding of OUR dreams. I know I said I would be in charge of the wedding planning last night but really, Blaine…I want you to be a part of it."

Blaine smiled. "You are my dream, Kurt – you and your happiness. I'll wear whatever you want me to wear and I'll stand wherever you want me to stand…"

Kurt hadn't planned on doing it this way, sitting on the floor at their coffee table in front of the TV having just finished dinner. But he felt in his gut that there was no better time. He was grateful that he'd placed his messenger back on the sofa that was directly behind them so he didn't have to get up. He turned his body so that he was facing Blaine directly and Blaine instinctively followed suit.

Kurt took Blaine's hands in his and cleared his throat. "Blaine, this isn't about just what I want. It's about what we want, together. I don't want to say 'jump' and you say 'how high'. I want us to jump together. There are many ways to be happy in this life Blaine, but all I really need is you. Life is going to give us many challenges but I know I can meet them if you're willing to face them with me and I promise you, no one will work harder to make you happy or cherish you more than me. When I met you, I knew I'd met my match. You turned around at the bottom of that staircase and looked up at me. Our eyes met and I knew it was only a matter of time until we arrived at this moment. When I look in my heart I see only you and when I look in your eyes I see a reflection of the two of us and the life we'll share together. I know you're the only person I want to share the rest of my life with. Blaine, I can't imagine growing old with anyone else, nor do I want to. As sure as the seasons are made for change, our lifetimes are made for years. The story of our love is only the beginning, Blaine. Let's write our own happy ending."

Blaine was crying. He had not expected that speech from Kurt but what he expected less was Kurt's next move. He had turned and took a small black box out of his messenger bag that was lying on the sofa. He opened the box and presented it to Blaine. It was an exact duplicate of the ring Blaine had proposed to Kurt with.

Kurt took the ring out of the box and slid it on Blaine's finger…a perfect fit. He looked Blaine in the eyes. "Blaine, just so you know, you're not a fool." When he saw the look of confusion on Blaine's face he continued. "That song you sang at Bleakers? About waiting so long for someone who will never come home? I was the fool and I'm so glad you waited for me to come home. My life is not complete without you. You love me the best when I'm my own worst enemy. Thank you for waiting for me. Thank you for loving me. And thank you for giving me a place to come home to. I love you and even though after last night this is a silly question, I still have to ask…" Kurt winked at Blaine. "Blaine Anderson, will you marry me?"

Blaine took Kurt's face in his hands and kissed him deeply and passionately. "Yes, baby! Yes, I will marry you! I love you!

Kurt smiled. "I love you so much."

Blaine's smile was so bright it lit up the entire room. Sure, the TV was flickering from where Kurt had only muted it and yes, their remaining Thai takeout was still sitting on the table in front of them. There weren't any candles or roses. There wasn't any soft music playing in the background. Neither one of them was in a suit or on one knee, but it didn't matter. This was perfect. A perfect example of what their life together would be like. Neither one of them could imagine anything better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you go! You probably guessed that Kurt's surprise would be asking Blaine to marry him too. I thought about having Blaine's dad come to his senses but it just didn't feel right to me. I don't like making Blaine sad but something in my gut told me to keep it this way. Only the epilogue left. I'm kind of sad this is ending...it really has been a labor of love and I thank all of you that have been reading this.
> 
> Next up: the epilogue but I won't give you any other teasers.
> 
> See y'all next weekend sometime! :)


	29. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, here we go guys...the epilogue. It's bittersweet for me. This is a bit different as there isn't any dialogue in this chapter - just narrative. And, it's a time jumper. I really hope you all like it.
> 
> Mistakes are all mine.
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing.

**Two Months Later**

Kurt had had a long and hard day at work. When Ms. Spencer told him that he would be working closely with Paul Brewer to learn exactly how to start a new line, she hadn't prepared him for exactly how difficult it would be. He felt bad because he had told Blaine that he would be home an hour earlier but this wouldn't be the first time Kurt was running late. Blaine really was the best fiancé in the world. He was very understanding of all of Kurt's demands at work.

Blaine had been working very hard himself. Noah Rhoades had been having Blaine assist on nearly every suit the law firm was working on. Assisting in this law firm was totally different than when he was doing it while working for his father. The partners in the law firm respected Blaine's opinions and listened to him. Noah had told Blaine a few days ago that very soon Blaine would have his own case.

Kurt opened the front door to their apartment. The nameplate outside their front door simply read 'Blaine Anderson & Kurt Hummel'. He knew that would change once they got married. After they got married it would read 'Blaine and Kurt Hummel'. After the last conversation he'd had with his father, Blaine had decided he wanted to lose the name 'Anderson' permanently and become 'Blaine Hummel'.

Kurt felt bad about arriving home late but Blaine had been running a bit late himself – having received some last minute news as he was leaving the office. They sat down and ate dinner on the table that came from Blaine's apartment in Westerville. Their trip back to Ohio had been uneventful. Kurt made one last effort and tried to get Blaine to attempt to make peace with his father but that was not something he was willing to do. His mother had come to help them move things out and saying goodbye to Trevor and Carly had been bittersweet but Trevor was coming back for the wedding and he was going to be Blaine's best man.

After they ate Blaine informed Kurt that Kurt's attackers had been sentenced earlier that morning. Jace Lavine and Tony Watkins had received 22 years each. Apparently the judge read all of the information that Det. Walton had provided and while he understood why Kurt didn't want to go through a trial, he wanted them to pay for what they did to him. Kayla Jones received 10 years behind bars.

Kurt suddenly felt relief and tension disappear from his body – a tension he didn't realize he was holding. It was over. He just knew it. He would never have to worry about them again. Suddenly he felt a sense of peace that he hadn't felt before. Life was good.

* * *

**One year later**

Blaine stood nervously in front of a full length mirror in the back room of the church. Today was his wedding day. Sure initially Kurt had been against a church wedding but the second he walked into the cathedral he knew this was the place. The ceremony would be nonreligious and Kurt had honestly been surprised they had been granted access to have their wedding here but New York was becoming more and more progressive. Blaine had been honest about just wanting Kurt to be happy and have his dream wedding but Kurt had been honest too and made sure to include Blaine on every single decision. Surprisingly, they agreed on nearly everything so the arguments had been kept at a minimum.

Trevor stood by his side, calming Blaine's nerves as best as he could, reassuring him that yes, Kurt was here and he wasn't going to be stood up at the alter because Kurt had suddenly come to his senses and realized that Blaine wasn't worthy. Burt had even poked his head into the room and told Blaine that he was proud to be welcoming him into the Hummel family. His mother and Cooper were in attendance and while he had long made peace with his mother, the closeness he felt towards his blood family was nothing like the closeness he felt towards the entire Hummel family – Finn included.

Rachel was on the other side of the church calming the same nerves Kurt was feeling. He had put so much effort into planning the perfect wedding, he was sure something was going to go wrong. When Rachel assured him that everything was going as planned, he began to have an irrational fear that Blaine was going to run out on him. It was Carly, their chosen flower girl, that convinced 'Kurty' that 'Blainey Bear' loved him very much and they would have a very happy life together. Kurt smiled and realized that he was being irrational and that everything would be perfect.

And it was. The wedding was absolutely perfect. Burt beamed with pride as Kurt and Blaine said their vows to each other. They danced at their reception and fed each other wedding cake and Blaine kept his promise and carried Kurt over the threshold of their apartment that night before heading to Paris the following morning for their two week honeymoon. Yes, life was good.

* * *

**Four years later**

Life could not be going better for the Hummels. Kurt's children's line at The House of Rosaline Spencer had been such a huge success when it launched several years ago. Kurt had chosen the name _Carly by Kurt Hummel_ because he wanted to acknowledge Carly's influence. In fact, now that Carly was eight years old her mother had allowed her to accompany Trevor on a visit to New York and Kurt was able to convince her to allow Carly to model a few of his designs. The media had assumed that initially that Carly was the adopted daughter of his and Blaine's. Little did they know.

Madison came into their lives that year. Two years after their wedding, he and Blaine had begun looking into expanding their family via surrogate. They knew that adoption was always an option but honestly, they did want biological children. One year into their search they selected the perfect surrogate. She became pregnant on the first try. They decided to use Blaine's sperm for their first child. They would use Kurt's for their second.

Maddie had been born right one her due date and she was already sporting black hair. This made Kurt extremely giddy because he always dreamed of having a little girl with Blaine's curls. Kurt was also happy that he'd have a child of his own to dress up and he had found brand new inspiration for his clothing line.

Blaine was such a great father. He took to it instantly. He was quick to get up in the middle of the night when Maddie woke up crying. This wasn't to say that Kurt was a hands off father. Quite the opposite actually. He loved cuddling with her and they both took shifts depending on what each other's work day looked like in the morning.

Blaine was quickly becoming one of the top prosecutors in New York. His services were constantly being requested and he found himself having to turn potential clients down due to lack of time. Blaine knew that he could be the top prosecutor in the entire country if he put 100% of himself into it but instead, he chose to put 100% of himself into being a husband and father. Those were the two most important jobs to him and he intended to keep it that way. After all, he had promised Kurt that he would always be there for him, and that was a promise he intended to keep. Yes, life was good.

* * *

**Three years later**

Three years after Madison was born, Avery came into their lives. She was born via the same surrogate they used for Maddie. This time they used Kurt's sperm and she had the bluest eyes when she was born. The doctor said that all newborn babies have blue eyes but Kurt and Blaine knew that Avery's eyes would never change…they just knew it.

Maddie was the best big sister. They were afraid that after their surrogate became pregnant they would have a hard time explaining things to her or that she would get jealous that she was no longer the only child. They made a point to get Maddie excited about having a new baby in the house and boy, oh boy was she excited.

Maddie often times was woken up by Avery crying in the middle of the night. She would get up and pad her way into Avery's nursery and sit by her crib and sing to her. Kurt and/or Blaine more often than not found her like that – singing soothing lullabies to her baby sister at two or three in the morning.

Maddie, only three years old, had already taken quite an interest in music. Blaine could already tell that she was going to have an amazing voice and they both agreed that they would enroll her in voice lessons as well as ballet the following year.

They also knew that she would be quite the heartbreaker when she got older. Kurt was right – Maddie had indeed inherited Blaine's thick hair of curls. She was a beautiful child and they could already tell that Avery would also grow into her looks.

Kurt and Blaine had discussed whether or not to have a third child and try for a boy. In the end, they realized that they were happy with the family they had created. They each had a biological child between them and having two girls in the house evened out the numbers.

Their friends and family were doing well too. Finn had married Lindsey the year prior and she was currently pregnant with a little boy. Burt had officially retired and Finn had taken over the shop, which was still running and enjoying success – and Kurt would always attribute that to Blaine's intervention on Burt's behalf all those years ago. Rachel had also married Marc. They were happy together but had decided to wait on starting a family. Rachel had finally achieved her dream – after years of staring in off-Broadway plays, she had been cast as Elphaba in the newest opening of _Wicked_ on Broadway. Kurt and Blaine made a point to attend her opening night and were blown away by her performance.

Professionally speaking, Kurt had found international success with _Carly by Kurt Hummel_. Milan and Paris were chomping at the bit to get Kurt to bring his designs for fashion week. Kurt shared Blaine's mantra of family being more important than business but he also realized what a big deal this could be. Blaine surprised Kurt by arranging for Burt and Carole to come and spend some time in New York with the children so they could both travel to Europe. In addition to Kurt working on his line, they used the time as a second honeymoon. They still made connecting with each other a large priority in their lives but having children, young children at that, did sometimes put a damper on sexy times.

Blaine had been offered a full partnership with the firm, which he gratefully accepted. Despite Blaine being firm on the number of clients he was willing to take on at a time, he had gained national notoriety with one of the most difficult cases that the firm had seen in years. It was one of those cases that gripped the nation. It was a kidnapping case and it was very near and dear to Blaine's heart because the child kidnapped had been Maddie's age. Blaine had put his all into that case. So much so that Kurt and the kids had begun to feel a little neglected. Kurt never once complained because he knew why Blaine was fighting so hard. After the case had ended with a successful conviction and maximum prison sentence for the felon, Blaine had surprised Kurt with their second honeymoon to Europe.

Kurt's line was a huge success in both Milan and Paris and the time away was exactly what Kurt and Blaine needed to reconnect. They had never been closer when they returned to New York and Blaine made a promise to Kurt that he would ever let a case cause him to be distant from his family ever again. Yes, life was good.

* * *

**Fifteen years later**

Maddie was now 18 years old and following in her godmother's footsteps having gained admission to NYADA. Her talents at acting, singing and dancing amazed both Kurt and Blaine. And she truly had grown into her looks. She was stunning. Maddie had Blaine's beautiful curls and even though she wasn't Kurt's biologically she had these piercing blue eyes. She knew she was beautiful but Kurt and Blaine had made a point to raise her with humbleness and to never take her looks or talent for granted. She never did. She was the sweetest girl. Maddie had begun dating her boyfriend, Ryan, last year. She swore they would be together forever. Whenever Kurt or Blaine would even suggest she explore her horizons, she would always point out that they had found each other when they were 16 and how they had wasted so much time by being apart. Every time she would bring that point up, Kurt or Blaine would have no response. Honestly, she was right. It wasn't that they had any issues with Ryan. He was a nice guy that treated Maddie with nothing but respect. But yes, Maddie was right. Sometimes your soulmate does enter your life at an early age.

Avery was now 15 and she was their little surprise. She took no interest in following her big sister's footsteps into performing. Nor did she take an interest in following after Kurt and venture into designing. Not that she didn't have the talent for it…she sung like an angel and inherited Kurt's body and was long and lean, which made her a beautiful dancer. She was a beautiful girl too. Her blue eyes had remained and she had long, blonde hair that sometimes Maddie was jealous of (though Kurt couldn't understand why…he always loved Blaine and Maddie's curls). She also exceled in her art classes at school so Kurt had told her if she was interested in designing, Kurt could help give her some pointers.

No, she wanted to follow Papa Blaine and become a lawyer. At only 15 years old, she had become quite the advocate for gay rights. All these years later it seemed like equality would take one step forward and one step back…as it stood currently, 37 out of 50 states had legalized gay marriage. This was completely unacceptable in Avery's mind. Yes, she was fighting for the rights of her parents even though gay marriage was legal in New York and Kurt and Blaine had been married for 22 years now, but she was also fighting for herself.

Neither Kurt nor Blaine had been surprised when Avery came out to them the previous year. Even as a little girl she was always interested in other girls as opposed to boys. This year Avery had her first girlfriend. Nikki was a sweet girl and she was out and proud as well so both Kurt and Blaine were happy that their little girl had fallen in love with someone who could love her back. Both Kurt and Blaine knew that if Avery made it her mission to make gay marriage equal in all 50 states then that's exactly what would happen. Avery had a way of just making things happen.

Kurt and Blaine had never felt more proud of their family. They had raised two bright and intelligent children who were going to do great things in this world. The two of them were also doing great things. Blaine had been so proud when Avery announced that she wanted to become a lawyer. He decided he would help and get her started early so she was offered an internship over the summer, working in the office with Blaine. She never received special treatment just because she was his child, but he always made sure she knew she was respected and she mattered. She never wanted Avery to feel like he had felt all those many years ago at the treatment of his father. Blaine's own career was still piping hot. He was still one of the most sought after attorneys in the entire country. But he never allowed a case to take away from his time with his family. He knew what it was like to lose Kurt, and while that seemed like it was a lifetime ago, he never wanted to feel that pain ever again.

Kurt had pretty much performed a miracle with his career. His children's line had become so famous that several years ago he wanted to branch out and design men and women's clothing while also keeping the children's line. He seriously considered leaving Spencer's behind and opening his own fashion house. In fact, many people in the business had asked him over and over again why he hadn't. The truth was, Rosaline Spencer had been so kind to him over the years that he did feel a sense of loyalty towards her. With this, he went and had a heart to heart with her a few years ago and the unthinkable happened. Rosaline Spencer was so adamant about keeping Kurt with the business that she offered him a partnership. Kurt could buy into the company and become an equal partner. And that's what he did. And three years ago, The House of Rosaline Spencer became The House of Spencer and Hummel. The media had a field day – but only in the best possible way. And this allowed Kurt more creative freedom to really focus on designing what he was passionate about. Some days he would design for women, other days for men and other days for children.

Personally, the two of them were in the best possible place. They grew more and more in love with each other with each passing year. Now that their children were older, they were able to take more vacations together. Sure they took vacations as a family but they both knew the importance of keeping each other their top priority. After all, if the parents are happy then the children are happy. Their days would be chaotic but they both reveled in the last moments of each day when they would curl up next to each other in their king sized bed and snuggle close, whispering "I love you" to one another. There was nothing better in the world. Yes, life was good.

* * *

**Forty-five years later**

Kurt and Blaine, now 94 and 93 years old respectively, had lived quite an amazing life. Blaine, being more articulate with words had been keeping a journal of their lives together. He began the journal on the night he proposed to Kurt. The two of them would sit outside together, on the beautifully landscaped lawn of the retirement home and read it together. Though both of their bodies were fighting the ailments that came with old age, neither of them suffered from memory loss. They simply enjoyed reminiscing about their lives together.

Maddie had not been happy about her fathers choosing to live in a retirement home over living with her and Ryan. Yes, Maddie had indeed married Ryan, proving once more that soulmates can be found at an early age. They had three children of their own: Belinda, Bethany and Burt – after Kurt's Dad, who had passed away while Maddie was pregnant with young Burt. Maddie had completely followed in Rachel's footsteps and became a huge Broadway star. She had been offered a few TV roles during her career but she knew that Broadway was her true love and she had been taught to always keep family first so she chose to stay in New York. Ryan was a construction manager that oversaw many of the high rises that continued to add to New York's skyline.

Avery was their free spirit. She had finally settled down with a wonderful woman by the name of Shelly. They spent some time traveling the world together before Avery got serious about becoming a lawyer. And damn, was she a good one. She was one of the leaders that spearheaded the charge to get gay marriage legal in all 50 states. Kurt and Blaine were happy that they lived to see full equality but they were so proud that their daughter played such a huge role in making it happen. Avery and Shelly had decided not to have children of their own like her fathers did, but instead they chose to adopt from foreign countries. They had four children – each from a different country.

Avery also offered her home to her fathers when it became apparent that they could no longer maintain their apartment lifestyle. But no, Kurt and Blaine had prepared for this when they set up their retirement funds. They knew their children had full lives and they would not burden them by becoming an obligation of sorts. Together, they had chosen a beautiful retirement home just outside of the city and their extended family came to visit them often.

More often than not, they would find them just as they were today – sitting outside in the sunshine with Blaine's journal, remembering their great lives. They thought back to the days that each of their daughters got married and how different each wedding was. Maddie was very traditional in her ceremony while Avery had a hippie wedding. They thought back to when their first grandchild was born and how Maddie had called them in the middle of the night asking them to come to the hospital because her water had broken. That moment had caused them to remember the night Maddie was born and how afraid and excited they were.

They thought back to when Blaine received news that his father had passed away. Blaine had been slightly regretful that he had not made peace with his father before his passing but he tried to make up for it by becoming closer with his mother. Suzanne would come visit several times a year and when she became too old to live on her own in Ohio, they moved her into a spare room in their apartment until she passed. Blaine took the passing of his mother harder than he thought he would. He took the passing of his brother the hardest. Cooper lived a good long life though and Blaine was thankful that he had no regrets regarding his relationship with his brother.

They thought back to when Blaine had decided to retire from law when he was 60. He knew he still had a few good years of law left in him but he had reached an age where he just wanted to focus on nothing but his family. Kurt however, continued designing until he was 65. He had reached a level of success that he never thought would happen as a shy, gay, bullied kid from Lima, Ohio. Truthfully, he wasn't ready to retire but the arthritis in his hands made his work more difficult and thankfully, Kai, one of Avery and Shelly's little boys, had taken an interest in design when he was younger so Kurt was able to pass the reigns to a family member.

They thought back to the years they spent together after they had quit working. They spent a lot of quiet cozy nights in their apartment, watching movies, or reading to each other. They did some traveling and they spent as much time as possible with their children and grandchildren. More importantly, they continued to fall in love with each other. They very seldom fought during the years and that only served as a platform for their love to grow stronger.

They had spent today sitting on a bench outside reading as the sun began to set. Maddie and Avery had come to visit them today. Quite often they would bring their spouses or a child or two would tag along. Not today though. Today they had spent time together – just the four of them, laughing and retelling old stories from their childhoods. After their daughters had left and Kurt and Blaine had retired to their room after dinner, Blaine took Kurt's hand and kissed it. Kurt had been right – they had grown fabulously old together. They preformed their bedtime rituals, Kurt still using the same skincare routine and Blaine playing their wedding song on his mp3 player - _I Giorni_ by Ludovico Einaudi…they walked down the aisle to that song and had played it every night since before falling asleep. They crawled into bed together and snuggled close, wrapping their arms around one another. They exchanged an "I love you" each and closed their eyes. Soon after, they truly transformed into Ally and Noah from _The Notebook_ , taking their final breaths together. Yes, life had been good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end.
> 
> If you haven't heard I Giorni by Ludovico Einaudi I highly suggest you take a listen. It is a beautiful piece of classical music. I first stumbled on it while reading the fic "Little Numbers".
> 
> I want to thank each and every one of you that has read this and commented or left kudos. It truly means the world to me. I know reading WIPs aren't always popular due to fear of being abandoned or taking forever between updates so thank you to those of you that gave this fic a chance. 
> 
> And if you've chosen to wait until this was complete before reading, feel free to leave a kudos if you choose. It still warms my heart. :)
> 
> Thank you again and I hope you enjoyed Yes, Life Had Been Good.


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